Collin Martin didn’t just retire from professional soccer—he stepped away from a career that quietly made history while still very much in the middle of the action. Not many players can say that. Fewer still can say it without turning it into a whole spectacle.
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At 31, Martin has called time on 13 seasons across DC United, Minnesota United, San Diego Loyal, and North Carolina FC, wrapping up a run that balanced solid midfield work with a moment in 2018 that ended up echoing far beyond the pitch.
He announced his retirement on social media, keeping things grounded rather than dramatic.
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He wrote:
“After 13 professional seasons with DC United, Minnesota United, San Diego Loyal, and North Carolina FC, I am retiring from professional soccer.
“When I started playing as a young kid, I could never have imagined how much this game was going to change my life.
“I want to thank my family and friends, teammates, coaches, and clubs for providing me with memories that will last a lifetime.”
Simple words. Not simple impact.
The night Pride Night got very real for Collin Martin
June 2018 is one of those football dates that didn’t look historic at first glance—until it very much was. On the eve of Minnesota United’s Pride Night match, Martin publicly came out as gay while still an active MLS player. That timing matters: not after retirement, not after stepping away, not when the job risk disappeared into nostalgia.
At the time, he became the first openly gay male athlete to come out while under contract in a top-tier men’s professional soccer league anywhere in the world. It also meant he was, briefly, the only out gay male athlete in any major U.S. men’s pro sports league. Which is less “fun fact” and more “why was that even still a thing in 2018?” And yet—he stayed.
He went on to become only the second MLS player to take the field while openly gay, following Robbie Rogers, who had come out in 2013 and later returned to play with LA Galaxy.
The very normal job of being a very not-normal first
On the pitch, Martin did what midfielders are supposed to do: keep things calm, connect play, and make everyone else look like they’re in rhythm even when the game is not. Over MLS and USL, he made 200+ appearances and represented the U.S. at youth levels up to Under-20. No theatrics. No constant spotlight. Just consistency—the kind coaches love and highlight reels usually ignore. But his most defining “stat” was never on a scoresheet.
He later reflected on coming out in an Instagram post:
“I truly didn’t know how much that decision would change my life,” he added in his Instagram post.
“To me, it’s the most significant thing I did in my career. I hope that decision has made it easier for any kid questioning if there is a place for them in this sport.”
Not exactly your typical post-match interview answer—and that’s exactly why it stuck.
Injury time, but make it life decisions
His final playing stretch was interrupted in July 2025 after an ACL injury during his second season with North Carolina FC. The kind of setback that turns “one more season” into “so… about that.” He initially planned to keep going. But rehabilitation has a way of turning long-term plans into honest conversations with yourself.
He also became part of a small but growing group of openly gay players in elite men’s football, later joined by Josh Cavallo, who came out in 2021 in Australia’s A-League. Different leagues, different contexts, same uncomfortable truth slowly getting less isolated.
Off the pitch, he actually showed up (a lot)
Martin didn’t just exist as a “first”—he stayed visible in ways that weren’t performative or occasional. He appeared in MLS Pride activations, spoke at Athlete Ally events, and worked with Common Goal’s “Play Proud” initiative focused on inclusion in football.
He also popped up on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” taking part in a Tinder segment that somehow managed to prove two things at once: professional athletes are just people, and dating apps are chaotic regardless of your job title. Within media spaces, he built a reputation for being unusually open and easy to talk to—less guarded athlete soundbite, more actual conversation. Not flashy, just present.
Among those reacting to his retirement was former USMNT star and San Diego Loyal co-founder and head coach Landon Donovan, who wrote:
“So proud of you Collin and congrats on an amazing career. Can’t wait to see what’s next for you!”
A straightforward message, which fits a straightforward truth: Martin’s career was never about one headline moment. It was about what kept unfolding after one already happened.
The part that doesn’t retire
Martin ended his announcement with gratitude and a hint that whatever comes next is still in motion. But the football world doesn’t really get to treat his story as “finished,” because the most significant part of it already happened in real time, without waiting for a legacy package.
Not every player gets to change the shape of the game while still playing it. Martin did. And now the sport is still catching up to what that actually means.