Austin FC has recently confirmed that its club captain, Sebastián Driussi, has secured a green card, thereby becoming a permanent resident of the United States. Since 2021, Driussi had occupied an international player slot for Austin FC.
According to a press release on the Austin FC website, Driussi, who hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is Austin FC’s all-time leading scorer with 43 goals in 85 appearances. In 2022, he was selected as a Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star and MLS Best XI selection and was also the runner-up for the Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player Award.
The MLS website reveals that in 2023, there were 233 international roster slots divided amongst 29 teams. The number of international player slots is fixed and can be traded between teams. Any player who held an international player status can transition to a domestic player upon being granted residency.
With Driussi now classified as a domestic player, Austin FC's roster includes five international players: forwards Moussa Djitté and Jáder Obrian; midfielders Daniel Pereira and Emiliano Rigoni; and defender Leo Väisänen. According to the MLS website, Austin FC has a total of 30 roster spots available.
In February 2023, following his breakout season in 2022, Driussi agreed to a new multi-year deal with Austin FC that will keep him under contract through the 2025 season with an option for the player for the 2026 season. Wolff stated at that time that Driussi was "a top-quality player and leader in our locker room," according to an article on the Austin FC website. Driussi began his professional career in his native Argentina at age 17 in 2013. He signed with Zenit St. Petersburg of the Russian Premier League in 2017, contributing to his team's three consecutive domestic league titles before signing with Austin FC in 2021.