Maximilian Arfsten
American soccer player (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maximilian Michael Arfsten (born April 19, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and the United States national team.
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Arfsten with the Columbus Crew in 2026 | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maximilian Michael Arfsten[1] | ||||||||||
| Date of birth | April 19, 2001 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth | Fresno, California, United States | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Position | Winger | ||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||
Current team | Columbus Crew | ||||||||||
| Number | 27 | ||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||
| 2010–2019 | California Odyssey | ||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||
| 2019–2021 | UC Davis Aggies | 39 | (9) | ||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||
| 2022 | San Jose Earthquakes II | 24 | (9) | ||||||||
| 2023– | Columbus Crew | 84 | (13) | ||||||||
| 2023 | Columbus Crew 2 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||
| 2025– | United States | 18 | (1) | ||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 05:15, 11 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 02:10, 5 April 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||
Early years
Youth
Arfsten attended San Joaquin Memorial High School. In 2016, he posted 21 goals, 11 assists and earned all-league first team honors. He ended his junior season with All-CMAC first team recognition and league MVP honors by posting 20 goals and 21 assists. He helped the team win the league and Central Section championships that year, also earning all-league first team honors for the third straight season, and captured league MVP accolades for the second year in a row after ending his final season with 50 goals and 20 assists.[2] Arfsten also played club soccer with local side California Odyssey for nine years, where he was the leading National Premier League goal scorer.[3][4]
College
In 2019, Arfsten attended the University of California, Davis to play college soccer. Between 2019 and 2021, he made 39 appearances for the Aggies, scoring nine goals and tallying eight assists. He earned Big West Conference All-Freshman Team honors in 2019. His sophomore season was canceled due to COVID-19, and just ahead of his junior season, he broke his foot and was out for five months.[2] He was named Big West Offensive Player of the Year and All-Big West First Team in 2021.[3][5] Prior to the 2022 season, Arfsten opted to leave college early and play professionally.
Club career
San Jose Earthquakes II
In 2022, he signed his first contract with MLS Next Pro side San Jose Earthquakes II ahead of their inaugural season.[6][7] In his lone season with the Quakes reserve team, Arfsten scored nine goals in 24 appearances.[8]
Columbus Crew
In December 2022, Arfsten was announced as eligible for selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.[9] He was selected 14th overall by Columbus Crew on December 21, 2022.[10][11][12] He signed a two-year deal with the Major League Soccer side on February 21, 2023.[13][14][15][16] Arfsten made his debut and scored his first goal for Columbus on March 25, 2023, in a 6–1 victory over Atlanta United after coming on as a late substitute.[17] He made his first start on June 3, replacing Mohamed Farsi in the starting lineup after the wing-back was injured during warmups. Playing on the right side, Arfsten scored and assisted in the 4–2 win against Charlotte FC.[18][19] During the 2023 playoffs, he scored in the only match he appeared in as his side would go on to win the MLS Cup.[20]
During the 2024 season, Arfsten entrenched himself as the starting left wing-back in a 3–5–2 formation. He scored in back-to-back games on May 11 and May 15. He had two assists in the match against Orlando on September 21, with the first assist coming with his left foot while the second came from his right.[21][22] On October 16, it was announced that Arfsten had signed a contract extension until 2027, with a club option for 2028.[23]
International career
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On January 6, 2025, Arfsten was called up to the United States national team by head coach Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the January camp in Florida, with friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica.[24] Arfsten made his debut on January 18, 2025 versus Venezuela.[25] Arfsten netted his first career international goal in the semifinals of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup against Panama.[26] He played significant minutes in the tournament, starting in all but one game for the U.S., as they finished runner-up in the competition to Mexico.[27]
Style of play
A two-footed player, Arfsten has been noted for his bravery, technical ability, and penchant for taking players on via the dribble.[27][28] He has described himself as a player that "like[s] to dribble a lot and be shifty as much as I can, just to create chances, so I think my aggressiveness in my attack sets me apart."[2][29]
Personal life
Career statistics
International
- As of match played March 31, 2026[31]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | 16 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 18 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list United States goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 June 2025 | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, United States |  Costa Rica | 2–1 | 2–2 (4–3 p) | 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
