Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe has announced he will retire from professional football at the end of the current season. The 35-year-old made the announcement on Tuesday, bringing an end to a 15-year career in Major League Soccer.
Nagbe, who was born in Liberia and played college soccer at Akron, was drafted second overall by the Portland Timbers in 2011. He has made 444 regular-season appearances, ranking fifth in league history, and has scored 38 goals while registering 48 assists.
He has won the MLS Cup on four occasions with three different clubs: Portland Timbers (2015), Atlanta United (2018) and Columbus Crew (2020 and 2023). His trophy collection also includes the US Open Cup (2019), two Campeones Cups (2019 and 2021) and the 2024 Leagues Cup. Internationally, he was part of the United States squad that won the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2017, and he has been named an MLS All-Star three times.
In a social media post, Nagbe expressed gratitude to his family, teammates, coaches and supporters. He thanked Portland for giving him his first professional opportunity, Atlanta for two unforgettable years, and Columbus for welcoming an Ohio native home. “I’ll have more to share and more people to thank later,” he said. “Looking forward to finishing the season strong and what’s ahead of us!”
The Crew have already clinched a place in the Eastern Conference playoffs, currently occupying the ninth and final seed ahead of Saturday’s regular-season finale against the New York Red Bulls. Club owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam paid tribute to Nagbe, saying he is “one of the best people to represent the Crew and Major League Soccer over our 30-year history” and praising his leadership and community work.
