From Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) to Cucho Hernandez (Real Betis), we’ve seen quite a few players depart Columbus Crew for a European club in recent years. At 24 years of age, Maximilian Arfsten could very well be the next Crew player to make the step up.
Max Arsten earned his 13th cap with the USMNT in its 1-1 draw with Ecuador on Friday. (Photo courtesy of MLS)
By Zach Lowy
Special to FrontRowSoccer.com
From Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) to Cucho Hernandez (Real Betis), we’ve seen quite a few players depart Columbus Crew for a European club in recent years. At 24 years of age, Maximilian Arfsten could very well be the next Crew player to make the step up.
Born in Fresno, Calif., Arfsten grew up idolizing Neymar Jr. and excelling for his various school teams and local club side California Odyssey, scoring 21 goals and 11 assists in 2016 for San Joaquin Memorial High, before ending his junior year with All-CMAC first team recognition and league MVP honors with 20 goals and 21 assists. Arfsten won the league MVP for a second year in a row after racking up an astonishing 50 goals and 20 assists, prompting him to earn an athletic scholarship to the University of California.
Similarly to many other players like Miles Robinson, Darlington Nagbe, and Tesho Akindele, Arfsten gradually bided his time at the collegiate level and paved the way for a successful career in Major League soccer. He recorded 9 goals and 8 assists in 39 appearances for the Aggies, earning Big West Conference All-Freshman Team honors in 2019 and the Big West Offensive Player of the Year and All-Big West First Team in 2021, before eventually departing college ahead of schedule.
He played professionally for MLS Next Pro side San Jose Earthquakes and racked up nine goals in 24 appearances in their maiden season, before entering the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, where he was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Columbus Crew.
It didn’t take long for Arfsten to make an impact, registering 16 appearances and helping the Crew win the 2023 MLS Cup, before playing 42 times in the 2024 campaign as Columbus won the Leagues Cup and finished with the second-best record in MLS. Whilst Columbus would lose to New York Red Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, Arfsten had nevertheless exited the season with a stellar reputation. Capable of taking on players on the dribble, maneuvering past defenders with either foot, and whipping in dangerous crosses, Arfsten’s attacking verve shone through and enabled him to solidify his status in the starting lineup.
He has built on that momentum in 2025, becoming one of the first names on Wilfried Nancy’s team sheet and combining his aggressive tackling and graceful dribbling prowess to perfection as the club’s left wingback. He’s played in 28 MLS matches this season (all starts), and the only time that he’s missed a league match is when he was playing for the US Men’s National Team, whilst he’s also played twice in the Concacaf Champions Cup and three in the Leagues Cup. All things considered, Arfsten has scored 14 goals and 14 assists in 92 appearances for the Crew, who sit ninth in the Eastern Conference and are guaranteed to be playing in the postseason.
“Max’s technical ability is amazing,” Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko said in an exclusive Front Row Soccer interview. “When he was playing in college, he was playing as a winger, which has helped him a lot with the ball. Obviously, in Columbus, maybe he didn’t play as much as he wanted to in his first season, but he was transitioning from college to the professional experience in MLS, and he needed to adjust to his new coach. When I arrived in June 2023, I saw him fighting for the chance to play 10-15 minutes, and now he’s starting every game and playing for the U.S. men’s national team.”
“A lot of teams now want to sign transfer him to Europe,” added Cheberko. “His work ethic is so good, because sometimes I come into the facility on my days off and see him there working out and trying to improve his skills. That work ethic, technical ability, and the mindset that he’s trying to improve under Nancy…he’s trying his best all the time. Whether it’s a training session, a friendly game, an official game for the Crew, or a national team game, it doesn’t matter to him; he tries to be consistent.”
Since making his USMNT debut in January, Arfsten has emerged as an indispensable figure under Mauricio Pochettino with 12 appearances (including five in the Gold Cup) and being called up to their last five national team squads. On Friday, he secured his 13th cap as the USMNT take in the 1-1 draw with Ecuador in Austin, Texas.
No. 14 could come against Australia in Commerce City, Colo. on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Zach Lowy can be followed on X (formerly Twitter a @ZachLowy.