The Revolution added three players through the international market this
offseason, including midfielder Arnór Traustason, midfielder Wilfrid
Kaptoum, and defender Christian Mafla. In last Saturday’s season opener against D.C. United, all three players were included in the starting lineup, with Traustason and Mafla making their MLS debuts.
Traustason is New England’s most recent addition, as the Icelandic international joined the Revs squad on March 17. He has started each of the team’s three matches since his arrival — both wins. The 27-year-old winger
arrives in Foxborough following 11 professional seasons in the top flights of
Sweden, Greece, Austria, Norway, and Iceland. He most recently featured
for reigning Swedish champions Malmo FF, where he registered more
than 100 appearances across all competitions, including 34 combined
games played in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
On the international stage, Traustason has collected 40 international caps
and five goals for the Iceland Men’s National Team. He represented Iceland
at the 2018 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2016 European Championship,
which saw the team make a historic run to the tournament’s quarterfinal.

Kaptoum also arrives in New England from Europe after six professional
seasons in Spain with FC Barcelona and Real Betis, most recently featuring on loan for Unión Deportiva Almería in Spain’s Segunda División. The
24-year-old made his MLS debut as a substitute in the season opener
against Chicago, before slotting into the starting 11 against D.C. United
last weekend.
The central midfielder owns more than 100 professional appearances
across all competitions with FC Barcelona, Real Betis, and UD Almería,
including stints with Barcelona B and Real Betis B. He made three appearances with Barcelona’s first team – including a start in the 2015-16 UEFA
Champions League – after developing for several years in La Masia, the
club’s legendary academy system.
The Revolution signed Mafla in December, bolstering an outside back
group that saw the departure of Alexander Buttner earlier in the offseason.
He arrives in New England after 10 professional seasons in South America,
including the last five in Colombia’s top-flight Categoría Primera A with
Atlético Nacional and Atlético Bucaramanga. After recovering from a preseason injury, Mafla debuted for the Revs against D.C. United and played 54 minutes at left back.
Mafla, 27, owns more than 190 professional appearances in all competitions across stints with Atlético Nacional, Atlético Bucaramanga, Boyacá Chicó, América de Cali, Sud América, and Olimpo. The defender joined
Nacional in 2017 and played 78 games for the club, including 62 in Primera
A. He featured in 11 games in 2020 after seeing action in a career-high 30
league games in 2019.

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