Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Union Captain Alejandro Bedoya to Retire After the 2026 Season

Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya announced on Monday, November 2, that he will retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2026 season. The decision closes a 17-year professional career and a decade in Philadelphia, where the 39-year-old midfielder has worn the captain's armband since 2017.

The Union published the announcement on Monday. USA TODAY reported the same day that Bedoya will have one final chance to chase an MLS Cup title, with the Union already qualified for the 2026 playoffs.

A decade as captain

Bedoya joined Philadelphia as a Designated Player from FC Nantes in France in August 2016 and became captain a year later. He entered his 11th season with the club in 2026. In 2025, he became the second player in Union history to reach 300 appearances across all competitions, and he is one of only three players in club history with at least 25 goals and 25 assists.

The trophies that came with him

In 2020, Bedoya captained Philadelphia to the Supporters' Shield, the first major trophy in club history. He helped lead the Union to the 2022 Eastern Conference Championship and the first MLS Cup Final appearance in club history. He was also part of the club's second Supporters' Shield team in 2025.

His run in Philadelphia also includes Concacaf Champions League semifinal runs in 2021 and 2023, the 2018 U.S. Open Cup Final, and a goal in the Union's first MLS Cup Playoffs victory in 2019.

For his country

Bedoya earned 66 caps and scored two goals for the U.S. Men's National Team. He played in all four matches at the 2014 World Cup and won the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2013 and 2017. The New Jersey native played for Orebro and Helsingborg in Sweden and for Rangers in Scotland before his time at Nantes, USA TODAY reported.

What the club and Bedoya said

"Alejandro's impact on the Philadelphia Union extends far beyond what he accomplished on the field," Union Principal Owner Jay Sugarman said in the club release. "Alejandro has left an indelible mark on this organization and on soccer in Philadelphia."

"Philadelphia became so much more than the place I came to play soccer. It's where my family put down roots and where we built a life together," Bedoya said. "I'll miss this city and this club tremendously, but I take comfort in knowing I've given everything I had on the pitch."

One last run, and work that continues

Bedoya was named the 2022 MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year and won the 2023 Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award. In 2024, he began serving as a Union Player Development and Front Office Specialist while still playing. His playing career now has one closing chapter left: the 2026 playoffs, and the MLS Cup title the Union have never won.