Nagbe to retire after 2025 MLS postseason with Columbus Crew

Columbus Crew captain Darlington Nagbe, a 35-year-old midfielder and four-time MLS Cup champion, announced he will retire following the 2025 Major League Soccer postseason, the club said Tuesday in Columbus. Nagbe will end a 15-year professional career that included stints with the Portland Timbers, Atlanta United and the Crew, and he is expected to finish the season with Columbus as the club heads into the playoffs.

Nagbe, who was drafted second overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Akron, has become one of the league's most durable and decorated players. He has made 444 regular-season MLS appearances, ranking fifth in league history, and has totaled 38 goals and 48 assists. He won MLS Cups with Portland in 2015, Atlanta in 2018 and Columbus in 2020 and 2023, and his club honors also include the 2019 U.S. Open Cup, two Campeones Cups and the 2024 Leagues Cup. Internationally, Nagbe earned 25 caps for the United States and was part of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup–winning squad.

"After years of incredible memories, I'll be finishing my career at the end of this season," Nagbe wrote on social media. "I'm more than grateful for my family, for all my teammates,...