He was sent out on loan to Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy in 2010 along with fellow Brazilians from the club Alex Cazumba and Juninho.

[1] He made his debut for the team on March 27, 2010, in Galaxy's opening game of the 2010 MLS season against New England Revolution.

[4] On February 7, 2012, Los Angeles announced it had acquired the full rights to Leonardo on a free transfer from São Paulo.

[6] Leonardo enjoyed a good season for 2015, making 29 appearances across all competitions and being named the Galaxy defender of the year.

[4] In 2018, Leonardo helped the Dynamo win the 2018 US Open Cup, the first in club history,[4] however he missed the final due to injury.