The 2026 Columbus Crew season is the club’s 31st season of existence and their 31st consecutive season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of soccer in the United States and Canada. It will be their first season under head coach Henrik Rydström.[1] This will be their first season since 2019 without their former captain Darlington Nagbe.
Roster
- As of January 9, 2026[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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|
Technical Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Henrik Rydström |
| Assistant coach | Theodor Olsson |
| Assistant coach | Laurent Courtois |
| Goalkeeping coach | Phil Boerger |
| First Team analyst | Mak Pakhei |
| Fitness coach | vacant |
| Head of video & data analysis | Marc O’Neill |
| Technical director | Marc Nicholls |
| Director of Player Development | Dan Lock |
| Crew 2 Head coach | Federico Higuaín |
| Academy Head coaches | U18: Chris Rogers U16: Shahad Farahani U15: Eddie Hertsenberg |
Source: [[3]]
Competitions
Overview
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Major League Soccer | February 21, 2026 | November 7, 2026 | Matchday 1 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| Leagues Cup | TBD | TBD | League Phase | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| U.S. Open Cup | TBD | TBD | Round of 32 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — | ||||
Source: Competitions
Major League Soccer (MLS)
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | D.C. United | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 7 | Qualification for the wild-card round |
| 10 | FC Cincinnati | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 7 | |
| 11 | Columbus Crew | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 6 | |
| 12 | Atlanta United FC | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 4 | |
| 13 | Orlando City SC | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 24 | −18 | 4 |
Updated to match(es) played on April 12, 2026. Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Overall table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | FC Cincinnati | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 7 |
| 22 | Houston Dynamo FC | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 6 |
| 23 | Columbus Crew | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 6 |
| 24 | Austin FC | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 6 |
| 25 | St. Louis City SC | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 6 |
Updated to match(es) played on April 12, 2026. Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | Pts | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
Last updated: April 12, 2026
Source: MLS Results
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference
Results by round
Updated to match(es) played on April 12, 2026. Source: Match reports
Columbus schedule
A = Away; H = Home; N = Neutral; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Columbus schedule
A = Away; H = Home; N = Neutral; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Match results
Win Draw Loss
| February 21 1 | Portland Timbers | 3–2 | Columbus Crew | Portland, Oregon |
| 10:30 PM EST | Report | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 22,210 Referee: Allen Chapman Assistant referees: Kevin Lock Diego Blas Fourth official: Brandon Stevis |
| February 28 2 | Sporting Kansas City | 2–2 | Columbus Crew | Kansas City, Kansas |
| 8:30 PM EST | Report | Stadium: Sporting Park Attendance: 18,522 Referee: Sergii Demianchuk Assistant referees: Cory Richardson Jose Da Silva Fourth official: Corbyn May |
| March 7 3 | Columbus Crew | 0–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EST | Report |
|
Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field Attendance: 20,121 Referee: Tori Penso Assistant referees: Kathryn Nesbitt Meghan Mullen Fourth official: Calin Radosav |
| March 14 4 | Columbus Crew | 0–1 | Nashville SC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 6:15 PM EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field Attendance: 19,960 Referee: Fotis Bazakos Assistant referees: Brian Dunn Justin Howard Fourth official: Elvis Osmanovic |
| March 21 5 | Toronto FC | 2–1 | Columbus Crew | Toronto, Ontario |
| 1:00 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 15,384 Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere Assistant referees: Gerard-Kader Lebuis Gianni Facchini Fourth official: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
| April 4 6 | Atlanta United FC | 1–3 | Columbus Crew | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 34,130 Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez Assistant referees: Eric Weisbrod Nick Balcer Fourth official: Elijio Arreguin |
| April 12 7 | Columbus Crew | 1–1 | Orlando City | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field Attendance: 19,834 Referee: Ricardo Montero Assistant referees: Andrew Bigelow Tyler Wyrostek Fourth official: Marcos de Oliveira |
| April 18 8 | New England Revolution | v | Columbus Crew | Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Gillette Stadium |
| April 22 9 | Columbus Crew | v | LA Galaxy | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| April 25 10 | Columbus Crew | v | Philadelphia Union | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| May 2 11 | Columbus Crew | v | Minnesota United FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| May 10 12 | New York City FC | v | Columbus Crew | New York, New York |
| 4:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Yankee Stadium |
| May 13 13 | New York Red Bulls | v | Columbus Crew | Harrison, New Jersey |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Sports Illustrated Stadium |
| May 16 14 | Philadelphia Union | v | Columbus Crew | Chester, Pennsylvania |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Subaru Park |
| May 24 15 | Columbus Crew | v | Atlanta United FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 5:00 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| July 22 16 | Columbus Crew | v | New York City FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| July 25 17 | Columbus Crew | v | FC Cincinnati | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:15 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| August 1 18 | Inter Miami CF | v | Columbus Crew | Miami, Florida |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Nu Stadium |
| August 15 19 | Charlotte FC | v | Columbus Crew | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium |
| August 19 20 | Columbus Crew | v | CF Montréal | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| August 22 21 | Nashville SC | v | Columbus Crew | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 8:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Geodis Park |
| August 29 22 | Columbus Crew | v | New England Revolution | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| September 5 23 | Columbus Crew | v | Colorado Rapids | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| September 9 24 | D.C. United | v | Columbus Crew | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:30 PM [[[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]] | Stadium: Audi Field |
| September 12 25 | Columbus Crew | v | New York Red Bulls | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| September 19 26 | CF Montréal | v | Columbus Crew | Montreal, Quebec |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Saputo Stadium |
| September 27 27 | Columbus Crew | v | Inter Miami CF | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| October 10 28 | Orlando City SC | v | Columbus Crew | Orlando, Florida |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Inter&Co Stadium |
| October 14 29 | Columbus Crew | v | Charlotte FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| October 18 30 | FC Cincinnati | v | Columbus Crew | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Stadium: TQL Stadium |
| October 24 31 | Columbus Crew | v | Toronto FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2:30 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| October 28 32 | FC Dallas | v | Columbus Crew | Frisco, Texas |
| 8:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Toyota Stadium |
| October 31 33 | Columbus Crew | v | D.C. United | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2:00 PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| November 7 34 | Chicago Fire FC | v | Columbus Crew | Chicago, Illinois |
| 4:00 PM EST | Stadium: Soldier Field |
U.S. Open Cup
The Columbus Crew will be participating in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup, having missed out on qualifying for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup. They will start in the Round of 32, and their opponent will be determined in a draw on April 2.[4]
| April 15 Round of 32 | Richmond Kickers  | 0–3 |  Columbus Crew | Richmond, Virginia |
| 7:30 PM EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: City Stadium Attendance: 5,046 Referee: Deny Kulasinac |
| April 28/29 Round of 16 | Columbus Crew | v |  One Knoxville SC | Columbus, Ohio |
| -:– PM EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
Leagues Cup
By qualifying for the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, the Columbus Crew also qualified for the 2026 Leagues Cup, which was confirmed on December 16, 2025. The format will remain the same as the 2025 edition, with Columbus playing three matches during the League Phase, all against teams from Liga MX.[5]
| August 4 1 | Columbus Crew  | v |  Atlas | Columbus, Ohio |
| TBD p.m. EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| August 7 2 | Columbus Crew | v | Pachuca | Columbus, Ohio |
| TBD p.m. EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| August 11 3 | Columbus Crew | v | UNAM | Columbus, Ohio |
| TBD p.m. EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
Statistics
Transfers
In
| Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee/notes | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF |  Sekou Bangoura
|
 Kiryat Shmona
|
Transfer, undisclosed fee; Contract through 2029 with an option for 2030 | January 6, 2026 | [6] |
| FW | Chase Adams
|
Columbus Crew 2
|
Homegrown player, contract through 2029 with an option for 2030 | January 8, 2026 | [7] |
| DF | Quinton Elliot
|
Columbus Crew 2
|
Homegrown player, contract through 2026 with options for 2027, 2028, and 2029 | January 8, 2026 | [7] |
| DF | Owen Presthus
|
Columbus Crew 2
|
Homegrown player, contract through 2027 with an option for 2028 | January 8, 2026 | [7] |
| GK | Luke Pruter
|
Columbus Crew 2
|
2024 MLS SuperDraft pick; contract through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028 | January 9, 2026 | [8] |
| MF | Zach Zengue
|
Columbus Crew 2
|
2024 MLS SuperDraft pick; contract through 2026 with options for 2027, 2028, and 2029 | January 9, 2026 | [8] |
Out
| Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | Darlington Nagbe
|
Retired | Contract expired | November 26, 2025 | [9] |
| GK | Abraham Romero
|
El Paso Locomotive FC
|
Contract expired | November 26, 2025 | [9] |
| DF |  Lassi Lappalainen
|
HJK
|
Option declined | November 26, 2025 | [9] |
| MF | Derrick Jones
|
Option declined | November 26, 2025 | [9] |
References
- ^ “Columbus Crew hire Henrik Rydström as Wilfried Nancy’s replacement”. foxsports.com. Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. January 1, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ “Roster”. ColumbusCrew.com. Columbus Crew. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ “Technical Staff | Columbus Crew”.
- ^ “Format, Schedule and Participating Teams Finalized for 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup” (Press release). U.S. Soccer. December 4, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ “Leagues Cup 2026 Set to be Played August 4-September 6; Participating Clubs Announced”. leaguescup.com. Soccer United Marketing, LLC. December 16, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ Benatar, Orri (January 6, 2026). “Crew sign Guinean midfielder Sekou Bangoura from Israeli league”. nbc4i.com. Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ a b c Mac Kay, Brianna (January 8, 2026). “Columbus Crew sign 3 homegrown players to first-team contracts”. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ a b Aullbach, Dan (January 9, 2026). “Columbus Crew sign Luke Pruter, Zach Zengue to first-team contracts”. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Benatar, Orri (November 26, 2025). “Columbus Crew announce end-of-year roster decisions”. nbc4i.com. Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Retrieved January 26, 2026.