By Patrik Bergabo – Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has acquired 21-year-old midfielder Owen Wolff from Austin FC in exchange for $4.5 million, with an additional $3.1 million if certain performance-based incentives are achieved. Austin retains a sell-on percentage should Sporting transfer Wolff in the future.
Wolff joins Sporting KC’s roster as a U22 initiative player and is under contract through June 2031. As a U22 initiative player, Wolff’s salary will count against the club’s salary budget cap at a reduced rate.
Wolff, the son of Sporting Legend Josh Wolff, joins Sporting KC after recording 10 goals and 23 assists in 147 appearances for Austin FC as one of the most exciting young players in MLS. Wolff enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 with seven goals and 12 assists across all competitions and was voted as the fourth best young player in Major League Soccer in the league’s annual 22 Under 22 rankings.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Owen to Kansas City,” President of Soccer Operations & GM David Lee said. “Owen is one of the top young players in MLS with excellent technical quality who can add goals and assists to the team, while his versatility to play in multiple positions will make him a key asset for our coaching staff. We want to be a destination for the top domestic talent around the league and Owen fits perfectly into that model following his standout season in 2025 with Austin.”
Wolff spent significant time as a youth in Kansas City, playing for Sporting Blue Valley as his first youth club, before developing in the academies of the Columbus Crew and Atlanta United. He joined Austin in 2021, signing as a Homegrown Player in September that year. Wolff made his MLS debut as a 16-year-old with a late substitute appearance in Austin’s 3-1 win over Sporting KC at Q2 Stadium on Nov. 3, 2021.
The Atlanta, Georgia native continued to carve a larger role for himself in 2022 and 2023, making 58 appearances across all competitions as a teenager and gaining experience in the MLS Cup Playoffs, Concacaf Champions Cup, U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup. Wolff scored his first senior goal for Austin in a man of the match performance at Real Salt Lake on March 11, 2023 – recording an assist on the opening goal before tallying the winner in the 2-1 victory.
Wolff appeared in 36 of Austin’s 37 matches during the 2024 season, tallying one goal and five assists before cementing himself as one of the top young players in MLS throughout the 2025 season.
Wolff set career-highs with seven goals and 12 assists in 41 matches across all competitions last season, leading the team with 19 goal contributions to help Austin qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs with a sixth-place finish and reach the U.S. Open Cup Final for the first time.
Austin’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, Wolff flourished in the midfield and led the team with six game-winning assists. All of Wolff’s goals came during a torrid run of form in the second half of the season where he recorded seven goals and four assists in 13 matches from July 16 through Oct. 18 in the MLS regular season. Wolff was the youngest player in MLS to reach 15 goal contributions last season.
Wolff has been honored in Major League Soccer’s 22 Under 22 list for three consecutive seasons. He was voted as the fourth best player under the age of 22 in 2025, having previously finished 17th in 2024 and 18th in 2023.
Wolff represented the United States at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2023, starting each of the team’s five matches and tallying one goal and two assists to help the U.S. reach the Quarterfinals.
Wolff’s father, Josh Wolff, starred for the Kansas City Wizards from 2003-2006 and 2008-2010, recording 46 goals and 30 assists leading to his induction in the Sporting Legends Hall of Honor in 2019. Josh and Owen Wolff become the second father-son duo to represent Sporting KC, joining Alex and Teal Bunbury.
Sporting returns home this weekend to host the Vancouver Whitecaps at Sporting Park on Saturday night. Kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Apple TV, while Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM will carry the game locally on the radio. Tickets are available via SeatGeek.
With the addition of Wolff, Sporting now has 27 players under contract for the 2026 season. For a full list of the club’s roster moves, visit sportingkc.com/transactions.
- Goalkeepers (4): Stefan Cleveland, Jack Kortkamp, John Pulskamp, Ryan Schewe
- Defenders (9): Or Blorian, Diego Borges, Ian James, Emir Karic, Wyatt Meyer, Jansen Miller, Moises Mosquera, Jayden Reid, Justin Reynolds
- Midfielders (6): Kwaku Agyabeng, Jacob Bartlett, Zorhan Bassong, Lasse Berg Johnsen, Jake Davis, Owen Wolff
- Forwards (6): Stephen Afrifa, Taylor Calheira, Capita Capemba, Calvin Harris, Andre Luiz, Shapi Suleymanov
- On Loan (2): Ethan Bartlow, Cielo Tschantret
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) acquires midfielder Owen Wolff as a U22 initiative player in cash trade with Austin FC (MLS).
VITALS
Owen Wolff
Number: 33
Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 12/30/2004 (21 years old)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Birthplace: Snellville, GA
Citizenship: USA
Instagram: @owenmwolff
