Darlington Nagbe to Retire After 2025 Season

Columbus Crew captain Darlington Nagbe, a 15-year MLS veteran, announced he will retire at the end of the 2025 season (after the MLS Cup Playoffs), posting a farewell on social media and thanking Portland, Atlanta and Columbus for their roles in his career. Nagbe is a four-time MLS Cup champion (Portland 2015, Atlanta 2018, Columbus 2020 and 2023), a three-time MLS All-Star and ranks fifth all-time with 444 regular-season MLS appearances. A Liberian native who starred at Akron, he won the 2010 Hermann Trophy and a collegiate national championship before being selected No. 2 overall by Portland in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Across his MLS career he has roughly 38 goals and 48 assists (some outlets record 44 total goals across competitions) and has served as Columbus captain since 2020. Nagbe said family considerations — including wanting to be more present for his children — and discussions with longtime coach Caleb Porter helped shape his decision; he plans to finish the season strong and share further thanks later.