NYCFC Secures Maxi Moralez Extension, Keeping Argentine Leader for the 2026 MLS Season

New York City FC has officially confirmed the contract extension of Maxi Moralez for one more season, ensuring that the Argentine playmaker will remain a central figure in the club’s project through the 2026 MLS campaign.

Moralez closed the 2025 season as one of the team’s key pillars. He recorded 39 starts, three goals and eleven assists across the regular season and playoffs, numbers that highlight his influence in a year that carried NYCFC all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. At 38 years old, the former Racing Club star has become an on-field extension of the coaching staff thanks to his leadership, vision and tactical intelligence.

His decisive goal in the conference semifinals pushed New York into the final four, where the club ultimately fell to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. Beyond the numbers, Moralez reached a historic milestone by becoming the oldest player to start every match since MLS adopted the 34-game season format in 2011 — a testament to both his physical condition and competitive importance.

Maxi Moralez is also the only NYCFC player to surpass 200 MLS appearances, currently sitting at 240 league matches. He leads the club’s all-time chart for goal contributions, surpassing Spanish legend David Villa as the most productive player in franchise history.

“I’m very happy to return to NYCFC for one more season — this club is my home,” Moralez said after the extension was announced, reaffirming the bond he has built since first joining the team in 2017.

The Argentine midfielder was a cornerstone of NYCFC’s 2021 MLS Cup title, the most significant trophy in the club’s history. After a brief return to Racing in 2023, he came back to New York to continue building his legacy, and 2026 will mark his ninth season with the Citizens.

As part of the City Football Group, NYCFC continues construction on its long-awaited stadium in Queens — Etihad Stadium — scheduled to open in 2027. Until then, Maxi Moralez will remain the face of experience and leadership guiding the club in Major League Soccer.