Gyasi Zardes Announces Retirement After a 13-Year MLS Career

Gyasi Zardes has officially called time on his professional soccer career.

The 35-year-old forward announced his retirement on September 21, bringing an end to a 13-year MLS career that saw him become one of the most accomplished American forwards of his generation. Zardes finished his league career with 106 regular-season goals in 328 appearances, while also earning 68 caps and scoring 14 goals for the United States. 

“It’s officially time to announce my retirement from professional soccer,” Zardes wrote in his retirement message, thanking his family, teammates, coaches, staff, organizations, agents, friends and fans who had been part of his journey.

For Zardes, the story began in Hawthorne, California, where he grew up before entering the LA Galaxy system. He played collegiately at Cal State Bakersfield and eventually earned a Homegrown contract with the Galaxy in December 2012, setting the stage for his professional debut in 2013. 

His breakthrough came quickly. In 2014, his second professional season, Zardes scored 16 goals in 32 appearances as the Galaxy captured the MLS Cup. That campaign established him as one of the league’s emerging American forwards and gave him his first taste of championship success. 

Zardes remained with the Galaxy through the 2017 season before moving to the Columbus Crew, where another important chapter of his career unfolded. After a difficult period that included injuries and a move away from Los Angeles, he produced a career-best 19-goal MLS season in 2018 and was named the league’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Two years later, he lifted another MLS Cup. Zardes scored 12 goals during Columbus’ 2020 championship campaign, giving him MLS titles with two different clubs and adding another major achievement to his résumé. He was also selected to the MLS All-Star team in 2015. 

His club career eventually continued with the Colorado Rapids and Austin FC. He joined Austin as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season and remained with the club through 2024, his final season as a professional. Across his MLS career, he reached 106 regular-season goals, placing him 10th on the league’s all-time scoring list at the time of his retirement. 

Internationally, Zardes became a familiar face for the United States during the 2010s and early 2020s. He made his USMNT debut in 2014 and went on to collect 68 appearances and 14 goals. His international résumé included Gold Cup triumphs in 2017 and 2021, while his final appearance for the national team came in 2022. 

Zardes leaves the game having spent more than a decade as part of the American soccer landscape. From a California kid coming through the Galaxy’s development system to a two-time MLS Cup champion and U.S. international, his career traced much of the growth of the modern American soccer era.

Now, after his final professional appearance came with Austin in 2024, Zardes has officially closed the chapter on a career that produced more than 100 MLS goals, two championships and 68 appearances for his country.