Gyasi Zardes Retires: A Look Back at the MLS and USMNT Career of a Two-Time MLS Cup Champion

Some soccer careers are defined by one iconic moment.

Others are defined by consistency, resilience and the ability to keep finding a way back. For Gyasi Zardes, it was a little bit of both.

After 13 seasons in Major League Soccer, two MLS Cup titles and 68 appearances for the United States men’s national team, Zardes has announced his retirement from professional soccer at 35.

And while the headlines will point to the numbers, his career tells a much bigger story.

From Los Angeles to the national team

Zardes first made his name with the LA Galaxy, breaking into the first team in 2013 after playing college soccer at Cal Poly.

It did not take long for him to become an important part of the Galaxy attack.

In 2014, Zardes helped Los Angeles win the MLS Cup, scoring 16 goals across all competitions that season. Playing alongside some of the league’s biggest names, he quickly established himself as one of the young American forwards to watch.

That same rise eventually earned him a place with the USMNT.

Zardes made his international debut in 2015 and went on to earn 68 caps for the United States, scoring 14 goals.

For a player who had gone from college soccer to becoming an MLS starter in just a few years, the national-team opportunity represented another major step.

A career built on resilience

Perhaps the most interesting part of Zardes’ story is that it was never completely straightforward.

After several productive seasons in Los Angeles, he moved to the Columbus Crew in 2018.

The change of scenery worked.

Zardes rediscovered his scoring touch and became one of the central figures in Columbus’ attack. His performances earned him the 2018 MLS Comeback Player of the Year award.

Then came another special moment.

In 2020, Zardes helped Columbus win the MLS Cup.

Six years after lifting the trophy with the Galaxy, he was doing it again with another club.

Two different cities.

Two different teams.

Two MLS Cup celebrations.

That is a rare accomplishment.

The MLS veteran who kept going

Over the years, Zardes also played for the Colorado Rapids and Austin FC, continuing a career that eventually produced more than 100 MLS goals.

His final MLS chapter came in Austin, where he brought experience to a club still building its identity in the league.

For younger players, Zardes represented something valuable: a veteran who had already experienced almost every side of professional soccer.

The big wins.

The difficult stretches.

The national-team pressure.

The expectations that come with being a designated attacking player.

And the challenge of reinventing yourself when circumstances change.

More than just the numbers

Zardes finishes his MLS career with 328 appearances and 106 goals. With the USMNT, he made 68 appearances and scored 14 goals. He was also part of two Concacaf Gold Cup-winning U.S. teams, in 2017 and 2021.

But statistics only tell part of the story.

Zardes’ career crossed several different eras of American soccer. He played when MLS was still developing its identity, experienced the league’s rapid growth and became part of a generation of American players who helped make the league increasingly competitive.

He also experienced the unique pressure that comes with wearing the U.S. crest.

Every goal mattered.

Every missed chance was analyzed.

Every call-up carried expectations.

Yet he kept coming back.

A different kind of legacy

Zardes may not be remembered in the same way as every American star of his generation, but his longevity deserves its own recognition.

He played more than a decade at the highest level of American club soccer.

He won MLS Cups with two different clubs.

He represented his country nearly 70 times.

He scored more than 100 MLS goals.

And he continued playing long after many players from his generation had moved on.

That is a career worth remembering.

For fans in Los Angeles, Columbus, Colorado and Austin, Zardes represents a different chapter.

For USMNT fans, he is part of a generation that helped carry American soccer through an important period of growth.

And for MLS, he leaves behind the kind of career that is increasingly difficult to replicate.

The final whistle

Retirement is always a strange moment for a professional athlete.

For years, the next game is always waiting.

Another training session.

Another road trip.

Another chance to score.

Then, suddenly, there is no next match.

For Zardes, that next match will no longer be part of the schedule. Instead, he can look back at a career that took him from Cal Poly to the LA Galaxy, from MLS Cup celebrations to the USMNT, from setbacks to comebacks, and ultimately to more than a decade as one of the recognizable American forwards of his generation.

Two MLS Cups.

More than 100 MLS goals.

68 national-team appearances.

And countless memories along the way.

The game moves on. Careers end. But the moments remain!