Real Salt Lake Trades Colombian MF Nelson Palacio To Toronto FC in Club’s First-Ever Cash-For-Player Deal

HERRIMAN, Utah (Monday, July 6, 2026) – Real Salt Lake has acquired $1.1 million in cash from Toronto FC in exchange for Colombian international Nelson Palacio, who recently concluded his year-long loan at FC Zurich of the Swiss SuperLeague. With certain performance-based individual and team considerations achieved by Palacio and Toronto in the next three years, RSL could add as much as an additional $550,000 to its General Allocation Money (GAM) accruals. Additionally, RSL will retain a sell-on percentage if Palacio is traded or transferred.

Palacio arrived in Utah in the summer of 2023, via permanent transfer from Atlético Nacional in his home country, appearing in 48 Major League Soccer regular- and post-season matches, along with another 10 combined appearances in CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup and MLS NEXT Pro competitions.

Palacio, 25, had occupied one of RSL’s four U22 roster designations during the past three seasons, scoring two goals, both in dramatic fashion during the 2024 Claret-and-Cobalt campaign (one the Leagues Cup game-winning ZAPATAZO in the 71st-minute against Atlas FC (Liga MX), the other a late-game equalizer that completed an 0-3 comeback to rescue a point at Dallas). Four of Palacio’s 21 MLS reg. season starts came last July, with absences to injured former Captain Emeka Eneli and Paraguayan international Braian Ojeda, who was traded to Orlando in January.

TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake (Major League Soccer) trades MF Nelson Palacio to Toronto FC (MLS) on Monday, July 6, 2026, in the Utah side’s first-ever intra-league “Cash-for-Player” trade, acquiring $1.1 million in compensation.

During the current World Cup break, RSL ranks third overall in the MLS Western Conference, also tied for fifth in the MLS Supporters Shield race, with an 8-4-2 (W-L-T) mark and 26 points through its first 14 games of the 2026 MLS season – RSL’s second-best 14-game start in its 22-year Club history (28 points in 2024).

RSL players, coaches and staff have recently resumed sessions for its summer preseason at its Herriman-based Zions Bank Training Center. RSL will play a trio of preseason matches, including a closed-door scrimmage at Minnesota this Wednesday, before hosting English Championship side Burnley FC at America First Field in Sandy on Wednesday, July 15, prior to a return to 2026 MLS reg. season action on Wed., July 22, at Los Angeles Football Club. RSL also travels to Portland on Sat., July 25 and St. Louis on Sat., August 1 in Major League Soccer action prior to a trio of Leagues Cup contests at home.

The fourth-year MLS vs. Liga MX tournament sees RSL host the legendary Tigres UANL on Tues., August 4 at America First Field, kicking off a run that also sees Atlante CF on Sat., August 8 and FC Juarez on Tues., August 11, prior to home MLS contests against Minnesota United on Sat., August 15 and FC Dallas on Wed., August 19. Those five home games in 16 days could be critical to RSL’s 2026 campaigns on various fronts, with Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side boasting seven wins in eight home matches so far in 2026.