João Klauss: From Replacement Player to New Fan Favorite

Los Angeles, Calif. -- LA Galaxy fans were angry at the beginning of the year, or at the very least skeptical. 

Not only had they received the worst news possible just a few days before, that Riqui Puig would miss the entirety of the 2026 season after an ACL injury setback (his second in consecutive years), but they would also not be getting a new number 10 to replace him and orchestrate the attack.

The LA Galaxy had gone in another direction.

News broke that Will Kuntz and the Galaxy were in advanced negotiations for Brazilian Striker João Klauss, then of St. Louis City, to become the team's newest designated player, replacing Puig.

On the surface, there were plenty of questions. 

Would Klauss even start with the Galaxy already having two strikers in Christian Ramirez and Matheus Nascimento (the Galaxy would later cut Ramirez)? 

How would another striker help the Galaxy with chance creation?

Could he stay healthy after injuries forced him to miss time in 2023 and 2024 for St. Louis?

Did Klauss have the offensive chops to “replace” Puig, whom many consider a unicorn in his skill set? 

Pundits and detractors of the deal alike correctly pointed out that Klauss had never scored more than 10 goals in his two seasons in MLS. 

And it's only taken Klauss two games to shut them up.

The Galaxy’s newest DP opened his Galaxy goal tally within 85 seconds on opening day, and LA should have walked away with three points off his game-winner.

He followed that up with a riveting performance against Charlotte. 

Klauss was electric. The striker led the line, led the press, was the epitome of hard work, and seemed to further solidify his understanding with fellow Brazilian Gabriel Pec en route to scoring two goals in the Galaxy’s 3-0 dismantling of the visiting side.

LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney spared the newcomer no compliment.

“He sets the tone. When everybody behind you looks to the guy in front who is working like he's working, you have no choice but to work with him. That's what I love. His mentality has been fantastic,” Vanney said in a post-match press conference after his team's win over Charlotte. 

Both Vanney and Kuntz have spoken several times about the need to have good soccer players and good men, and Klauss fits the mold of the ideal player they've described.

“He's a great guy for our locker room, and when he goes out there, he goes out there to work. He leads us on the defensive side. Never takes shortcuts. Obviously, he's big, and he's strong and hard to deal with for center-backs. I like the work he's putting in,” Vanney said of the tall striker.

Klauss the DP

The work is paying off. 

Klauss now has three goals in two games, leading the league's golden boot race, and was named to the MLS team of the matchday.

It's only taken Klauss two games to become a part of Galaxy history as well.

In the win over Charlotte, the Galaxy set a team record with three goals in the first 12 minutes and 14 seconds of the match (Sanabria 8’, Klauss 11’, Klauss 13’).

It was the fastest triple in LA Galaxy history, passing the previous mark set by Ibrahimovic and Pavon on August 25, 2019, in an El Tráfico against LAFC. 

It was also the sixth fastest time to three goals in MLS history.

Not bad at all so far, for a guy considered a replacement player.

But it's no surprise that he's emerged as one of the leaders of this 2026 Galaxy team.

Kuntz knew all along the type of hard-working player he was getting.

“He really is a horse … We spend a lot of time looking at the physical data that the guys have. In terms of output, he works, he presses, by all accounts a great teammate, a guy who can combine,” the Galaxy General Manager explained to MLS Writer Charles Boehm.

Klauss the teammate

But the beautiful part about Klauss is that he's a budding fan favorite, league star, and DP who doesn't need the spotlight.

In fact, the striker seems more than comfortable playing second fiddle to fellow DP's Pec and Joseph Paintsil. 

“They are the stars. They create the most for the team. My job is to make things easier for them,” Klauss explained.

He shared that playing with Pec and Paintsil has been easy because of their quality. The way the attacking trio integrates this year will be pivotal for the Galaxy’s chances. 

But the early returns are encouraging. 

Indeed, the fruits of a budding Brazilian relationship could be seen during preseason when Klauss set Pec up for two goals in one game. 

Against Charlotte, Pec returned the favor.

And although Klauss has been the main man so far this year offensively, the humble giant has deferred to his teammates and propped them up in more than one interview. 

“I think it’s very easy to create relationships with great players, so with their qualities it’s not difficult,” the third designated player said of his fellow DP's.

Klauss followed that up with the words every coach and every fan wants to hear.

“It's not about me. It’s about the team. So that’s the mentality that I try to show every single day and every single game.”

It's only been two games, but Klauss has shut his critics up with his words and actions. 

On the way, he's already become a new fan favorite in LA by doing and saying everything right.

So far.