When Bénie Traoré joined New York City FC from FC Basel for a large transfer fee this summer, the 23-year-old quickly set high expectations for himself.
"I want to be part of the history of the club," he told reporters in August. He had double-digit goal contributions in each of his final two seasons with FC Basel in the Swiss Super League, so MLS expectations were high for Traoré.
Two months into his NYCFC career, Traoré is on the wrong side of club history. The winger's output, one goal and zero assists through his first 11 league matches, is the joint-worst among the nine attackers New York City has signed as Designated Players.
NYCFC attacking DPs, first 11 MLS games
| Name | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| David Villa | 3 | 3 |
| Frank Lampard | 3 | 1 |
| Maxi Moralez | 2 | 3 |
| Jesús Medina | 2 | 2 |
| Alexandru Mitriță | 3 | 1 |
| Talles Magno | 1 | 0 |
| Santiago Rodríguez | 4 | 1 |
| Nico Fernández Mercau | 3 | 1 |
| Bénie Traoré | 1 | 0 |
Only Talles Magno (one goal, zero assists) started as slowly as Traoré in his first 11 league games, but Talles was largely coming off the bench in his earliest days in New York, as seven of his 11 first appearances were as a substitute. Traoré has made eight starts and his first — and only — goal for New York City came from the penalty spot in the club's 3-2 home loss to the Philadelphia Union — a low strike that hit off the post and fortunately rolled in.
Stutter step, post and Bénie Traoré has his first MLS goal! ☝️
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 16, 2026
New York City go ahead early.
📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/U3PfUCMj9t pic.twitter.com/FPL0WW5PbM
That goal didn't give Traoré much of a boost. He hasn't scored in seven appearances since the Philadelphia match, and ultimately lost his spot in the starting lineup, with Traoré on the bench for back-to-back matches against Real Salt Lake and Red Bull New York.
