2026 Austin FC season
| 2026 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Anthony Precourt | |
| Head coach | Nico Estévez | |
| Stadium | Q2 Stadium | |
| U.S. Open Cup | Round of 32 | |
| Leagues Cup | Phase One | |
| Average home league attendance | 0 | |
|
| ||
The 2026 season will be Austin FC's sixth season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of soccer in the United States. They play in the league's Western Conference. In addition the MLS play, Austin will also compete in the U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup.
Background
Austin FC started playing in the MLS Western Conference in 2021, finishing in 12th place with a record of 9W-4D-21L.[1] 2022 brought many new experiences for Austin FC. They lost their first ever U.S. Open Cup match against San Antonio FC in extra time,[2] won their first derby trophy, the Copa Tejas,[3] and qualified for their first-ever MLS Cup Playoffs in just their second season as a franchise.[4] Austin FC advanced to the Western Conference Finals but lost to LAFC.[5] Austin FC fell almost all the way to the bottom of the 2023 standings, with the team finishing in 27th place in Major League Soccer. The new sporting director Rodolfo Borrell was quoted as saying "The team overachieved last year, the team underachieved this year", but showed his support for coach Josh Wolff as the team looks to rebuild for the 2024 season.[6] At the end of the 2024 season, and after back-back seasons without reaching the MLS playoffs, Austin FC release their first ever coach Josh Wolff, having an interim coach for the final game of the season.[7] In November 2025, Austin announced Nico Estévez as the second coach for the franchise.[8] 2025 saw Austin advance to the finals of the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, falling to Nashville SC 2–1 at home,[9] and one month later qualify for their second every MLS Cup playoffs,[10] before falling in the first round to Los Angeles FC.[11]
Summary
Pre-season
Prior to the completion of the 2025 MLS playoffs, Austin FC announced they would participate in the 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational, the third year in a row participating in this pre-season tournament.[12] On November 24, 2025, Austin announced they had signed Ervin Torres to a homegrown contract through the 2028 season with two one-year options. He becomes the third player from the Austin FC Academy to sign a homegrown contract.[13] One day later, Austin announced their end–of–season roster decisions. The club denied the options for Julio Cascante, Jimmy Farkarlun, and Diego Rubio while exercising the options for Stefan Cleveland, Dani Pereira, and Riley Thomas. Brendan Hines-Ike's option was automatically trigger based on performance statistics from the 2025 season. Austin also signed Ilie Sánchez to a new contract for the 2026 season with a one-year option. With these decisions, Austin is left with two open slots on the senior roster as they build for the 2026 Major League Soccer season.[14] On December 10, 2025, Austin made their next roster decision as they build towards 2026 by trading Stefan Cleveland to Sporting Kansas City for $50,000 in 2026 GAM.[15] On December 16, 2025 Austin signed free agent Jon Bell through June 2028, with an option for the 2028-29 season. Bell has spent the last two years with Seattle Sounders.[16] On December 18, 2025, Austin traded $700,000 in 2026 GAM, $550,000 in 2027 GAM, and their 2026 MLS SuperDraft first round pick to Vancouver Whitecaps FC for Canadaian International Jayden Nelson. Nelson made 40 appearances and tallied three goals across all competitions during the 2025 season. He will hold a senior international slot on the roster.[17] After trading their first round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, Austin selected Stefan Dobrijevic from the University of Akron in the second round and Patrick Cayelli from the University of Pennsylvania in the third round.[18] On December 19, 2025, Austin announced they had traded Osman Bukari to Widzew Łódź for a reported $6.5 million, which is an Ekstraklasa record transfer fee.[19]
Management team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Anthony Precourt |
| Sporting Director | Rodolfo Borrell[20] |
| Head coach | Nico Estévez[8] |
| Assistant coach | Davy Arnaud |
| Assistant coach | Alberto González[21] |
| Assistant coach | Nico Bosch[21] |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Fabio Hernandaz[22] |
Roster
As of December 19, 2025.[23]
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position(s) | Date of birth (age) | Signed in | Previous club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||
| 1 | Brad Stuver | GK | April 16, 1991 | 2020 | New York City FC | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Damian Las | GK | April 11, 2002 | 2022 | Fulham F.C. | 0 | 0 | |
| Defenders | ||||||||
| 2 | Riley Thomas | DF | March 15, 2002 | 2025 | Austin FC II | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Mikkel Desler | DF | February 19, 1995 | 2024 | Toulouse FC | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Brendan Hines-Ike | DF | November 30, 1994 | 2024 | D.C. United | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Oleksandr Svatok | CB | September 27, 1994 | 2024 | SC Dnipro-1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | Jon Gallagher | LB/RB | February 23, 1996 | 2020 | Atlanta United FC | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | Žan Kolmanič | LB | March 3, 2000 | 2021 | Maribor | 0 | 0 | |
| 29 | Guilherme Biro | LB | May 2, 2000 | 2024 | Mirassol | 0 | 0 | |
| 35 | Mateja Djordjevic (U22) [a] | DF | July 17, 2003 | 2025 | FK TSC | 0 | 0 | |
| Jon Bell | DF | August 26, 1997 | 2026 | Seattle Sounders | 0 | 0 | ||
| Midfielders | ||||||||
| 6 | Ilie Sánchez | MF | November 21, 1990 | 2025 | Los Angeles FC | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Daniel Pereira (GA) | MF | July 14, 2000 | 2021 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Besard Šabović | MF | January 5, 1998 | 2025 | Djurgårdens | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Robert Taylor | MF | October 21, 1994 | 2025 | Inter Miami CF | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 | Nicolás Dubersarsky (U22) [a] | MF | December 21, 2004 | 2025 | Instituto | 0 | 0 | |
| 32 | Micah Burton (HG) | MF | March 26, 2006 | 2024 | Austin FC II | 0 | 0 | |
| 33 | Owen Wolff (HG) | MF | December 30, 2004 | 2020 | Austin FC Academy | 0 | 0 | |
| 38 | Ervin Torres (HG) | MF | November 14, 2007 | 2025 | Austin FC II | 0 | 0 | |
| Forward | ||||||||
| 7 | Jáder Obrian | FW | May 18, 1995 | 2024 | FC Dallas | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Brandon Vázquez | FW | October 14, 1998 | 2025 | C.F. Monterrey | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Myrto Uzuni (DP) | FW | May 31, 1995 | 2025 | Granada | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | CJ Fodrey (GA) | FW | February 10, 2004 | 2023 | San Diego State | 0 | 0 | |
| Jayden Nelson | FW | September 26, 2002 | 2026 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 0 | 0 | ||
- ^ a b U22 initiative
Transfers
In
| Date | Position | No. | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 16, 2025 | DF | Jon Bell | Seattle Sounders | Free Agent | [16] | |
| December 18, 2025 | FW | Jayden Nelson | Vancouver Whitecaps | $700,000 in 2026 GAM $550,000 in 2027 GAM 1st round pick in 2026 MLS SuperDraft |
[17] |
Out
| Date | Position | No. | Name | To | Type | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 25, 2025 | DF | 18 | Julio Cascante | Declined contract option | N/A | [14] | |
| FW | 26 | Jimmy Farkarlun | Declined contract option | N/A | [14] | ||
| FW | 21 | Diego Rubio | Declined contract option | N/A | [14] | ||
| December 10, 2025 | GK | 30 | Stefan Cleveland | Sporting Kansas City | Trade | $50,000 in 2026 GAM | [15] |
| December 19, 2025 | FW | 11 | Osman Bukari | Widzew Łódź | Trade | $6.5 million | [19] |
MLS Re-Entry Draft picks
| 2024 Austin FC Re-Entry Picks | ||||||
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | Team | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | PASS | ||||
| 2 | 17 (47) | PASS | ||||
MLS SuperDraft picks
| 2025 Austin FC SuperDraft Picks | ||||||
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Traded to Vancouver Whitecaps FC for Jayden Nelson. | [17] | |||
| 2 | 17 (47) | Stefan Dobrijevic | FW | University of Akron | [18] | |
| 3 | 17 (77) | Patrick Cayelli | MF | University of Pennsylvania | [18] | |
New contracts
| Date | Pos. | No. | Player | Contract until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 25, 2025 | MF | 6 | Ilie Sánchez | 2026 + 1yr option | [14] |
Non-competitive fixtures
Preseason
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Location | Result | Scorer(s) | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 7 | St. Louis City SC | Coachella Valley Invitational | Indio, California | - | - | - | - |
| February 11 | Chicago Fire FC | Coachella Valley Invitational | Indio, California | - | - | - | - |
| February 14 | Sporting Kansas City | Coachella Valley Invitational | Indio, California | - | - | - | - |
Competitive fixtures
Overall record
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| MLS regular season | February 21 | November 7 | Matchday 1 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| U.S. Open Cup | April 14-15 | TBD | Round of 32 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| 2026 Leagues Cup | August 4 | TBD | Phase One | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — | ||||
Last updated: November 25, 2025
Source: Soccerway
Major League Soccer Regular Season
Matches
| Win | Draw | Loss |
- ^ Austin FC's score written first
U.S. Open Cup
On December 4, 2025 U.S. Soccer announced Austin would take part in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup, entering in the Round of 32 along with all MLS teams participating in this iteration of the tournament.[24]
Leagues Cup
On December 16, 2025, The Leagues Cup organizing committee announced the 36 teams taking part in the 2026 Leagues Cup. All eighteen Liga MX teams and the 18 MLS teams who qualified for the 2025 playoffs will participate in the tournament between August 4 and September 6, 2026.[25]
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Numbers after plus–sign (+) denote appearances as a substitute.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | MLS | USOC | Leagues Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | USA | Brad Stuver | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | DEN | Mikkel Desler | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | USA | Brendan Hines-Ike | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | UKR | Oleksandr Svatok | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | ESP | Ilie Sánchez | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | COL | Jáder Obrian | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | VEN | Daniel Pereira | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | USA | Brandon Vázquez | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ALB | Myrto Uzuni | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | SWE | Besard Šabović | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | FIN | Robert Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | IRL | Jon Gallagher | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | USA | CJ Fodrey | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | ARG | Nicolás Dubersarsky | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | SVN | Žan Kolmanič | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | BRA | Guilherme Biro | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | USA | Micah Burton | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | USA | Owen Wolff | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | SRB | Mateja Djordjevic | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 38 | MF | USA | Ervin Torres | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| DF | JAM | Jon Bell | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| FW | CAN | Jayden Nelson | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
- Last updated: December 18, 2025
- Source: https://www.austinfc.com/stats/
Top scorers
| Rank | Position | Number | Name | MLS | USOC | Leagues Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
- Last updated: November 2, 2025
- Source: https://www.austinfc.com/stats/
Top assists
| Rank | Position | Number | Name | MLS | USOC | Leagues Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
- Last updated: November 2, 2025
- Source: https://www.austinfc.com/stats/
Clean sheets
| Rank | Number | Name | MLS | USOC | Leagues Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
- Last updated: November 2, 2025
- Source: https://www.austinfc.com/stats/
Disciplinary record
| No. | Pos. | Player | MLS | USOC | Leagues Cup | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Brad Stuver | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Mikkel Desler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Brendan Hines-Ike | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Oleksandr Svatok | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | Ilie Sánchez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | Jáder Obrian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Daniel Pereira | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Brandon Vázquez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | Myrto Uzuni | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | Besard Šabović | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | Robert Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Jon Gallagher | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | CJ Fodrey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | Nicolás Dubersarsky | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | LB | Žan Kolmanič | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | Guilherme Biro | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | Micah Burton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | Owen Wolff | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | Mateja Djordjevic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | MF | Ervin Torres | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DF | Jon Bell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | Jayden Nelson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
- Last updated: December 18, 2025
- Source: https://www.austinfc.com/stats/
References
- ^ "Conference Standings | MLSsoccer.com". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on November 12, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "San Antonio FC vs. Austin FC". ESPN.com. ESPN. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Copa Tejas". Copa Tejas. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ Wright, Ben (September 15, 2022). "Austin FC clinch first-ever playoff berth: "We can make it as far as we want"". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ Gates, Billy (October 30, 2022). "Austin FC falls 3-0 to LAFC in MLS Western Conference finals". KXAN-TV. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ Vertuno, Jim (October 10, 2023). "Coach Josh Wolff still part of Austin FC future as club tries to rebound after disappointing season". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
The team overachieved last year, the team underachieved this year
- ^ "Austin FC Parts Ways with Head Coach Josh Wolff". Austin FC. October 6, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "Austin FC Announces Nico Estévez as Club's New Head Coach". Austin FC. October 25, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ "Nashville SC Crowned 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Champions for First Trophy in Club History". United States Soccer Federation. October 1, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ Gordon, Colby (October 6, 2025). "Did Austin FC qualify for the MLS playoffs due to another result Sunday?". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ "Match Report: Austin FC vs. LAFC | Nov. 2, 2025 | Austin FC". Austin FC. November 2, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ "Austin FC to Take Part in 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational | Austin FC". Austin FC. October 15, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ austinfc (November 24, 2025). "Austin FC Signs Ervin Torres to Homegrown Contract | Austin FC". Austin FC. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Austin FC Announces Roster Decisions Ahead of 2026 Season | Austin FC". Austin FC. November 25, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "Austin FC Trades Stefan Cleveland to Sporting KC | Austin FC". Austin FC. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ a b "Austin FC Signs Defender Jon Bell | Austin FC". Austin FC. December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Austin FC Acquires Winger Jayden Nelson in Trade with Vancouver | Austin FC". Austin FC. December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Austin FC Selects Stefan Dobrijevic, Patrick Cayelli in MLS SuperDraft 2026 | Austin FC". Austin FC. December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "Austin FC transfer Osman Bukari to Polish club | MLSSoccer.com". Major League Soccer. December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ^ "Rodolfo Borrell Joins Austin FC As Sporting Director". Austin FC. June 30, 2023. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "Austin FC Announces Additions to Coaching Staff Ahead of 2025 Season". Austin FC. December 16, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ austinfc (December 4, 2025). "Fabio Hernandez Joins Austin FC as Club's New Goalkeeper Coach | Austin FC". Austin FC. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ "Club – Players". AustinFC .com. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ "Format, Schedule and Participating Teams Finalized for 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup". United States Soccer Federation. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Leagues Cup 2026 Set to be Played August 4-September 6; Participating Clubs Announced | LeaguesCup.com". leaguescup.com. December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.