FC Cincinnati buys out and releases center-back Matt Miazga

FC Cincinnati announced it has waived center-back Matt Miazga and exercised a guaranteed contract buyout. The decision is effective retroactively to September 2, meaning Miazga will no longer occupy a roster spot with the club and will not count against the salary budget for 2026.

As mlssoccer reports, the 31-year-old joined Cincinnati in August 2022 from Chelsea and made 108 appearances during his time at the club. In 2023 he won the MLS Defender of the Year award, was named to the Best XI and selected as an All-Star. Miazga suffered a serious knee injury in a match against the San Jose Earthquakes in June 2024 but returned to the field in under ten months. General manager Chris Albright praised his foundational role in the club’s progress and wished him and his family success going forward.

Miazga’s international résumé includes 28 appearances for the United States; he was part of the squads that won the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup and the 2019–20 Concacaf Nations League. During his professional career, Miazga spent time on loan at clubs such as Vitesse, Anderlecht, Alavés and Nantes, and began his professional career with the New York Red Bulls in 2013.

According to mlssoccer, the club expressed gratitude to Miazga for his contribution to changing the team’s status and wished him success in the next chapter of his career.