Nick Hagglund

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Nick Hagglund
CINvPOR 2019-03-17 - Nick Hagglund (33624969588) (cropped).jpg
Hagglund with FC Cincinnati in 2019
Personal information
Full name Nicholas Stuart Hagglund
Date of birth (1992-09-14) September 14, 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
FC Cincinnati
Number 4
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2010–2013 Xavier Musketeers 81 (4)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2014–2018 Toronto FC 88 (5)
2015–2018Toronto FC II (loan) 6 (1)
2019– FC Cincinnati 136 (4)
2024–FC Cincinnati 2 (loan) 4 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 01:08, July 28, 2025 (UTC)

Nicholas Stuart Hagglund (born September 14, 1992) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati.

Contents

Career

Xavier University

Hagglund (center) playing for Xavier in the 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals A10 Tournament Semifinals St. Louis vs. Xavier, 11 9, Chris Crews, DSC 6550 (8227038471).jpg
Hagglund (center) playing for Xavier in the 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals

After attending Lakota West High School, Hagglund committed to Xavier University where he played four years of college soccer for the Musketeers. He made 81 appearances, starting in 80, while scoring four goals and adding 11 assists. Hagglund was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year for 2013, along with First Team All-Big East honors. During his collegiate career he has also earned Atlantic 10 Defensive Player honors, and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team. In his freshman campaign he was named to Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team and Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team. [1] [2]

Toronto FC

On January 16, 2014 Hagglund was drafted in the first round (10th overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. [2]

Hagglund made his professional debut in a 2–0 win over the Columbus Crew on April 5, 2014. [3]

On September 27, 2014 Hagglund scored his first 2 goals in a 3–2 come from behind home victory against the Portland Timbers. [4]

In August 2015, Hagglund was temporarily loaned to Toronto's lower division USL club, Toronto FC II. [5]

On November 30, 2016, Hagglund scored the goal that put Toronto FC ahead 3–2 against the Montreal Impact in the Eastern Conference Final. This tied the aggregate score at 5–5, and sent the game into extra time. Toronto FC went on to score 2 in extra time to win the game 5–2 and earn their first-ever appearance in the MLS Cup against Seattle Sounders FC. [6]

FC Cincinnati

On January 23, 2019, Hagglund was traded to his hometown team FC Cincinnati ahead of their inaugural season in MLS. Cincinnati received the No. 24 Allocation Ranking and Hagglund from Toronto in exchange for $200,000 in General Allocation Money in 2019, $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money in 2020 and the No. 1 Allocation Ranking. [7] He scored his first goal for the club on October 14, 2020 against the Columbus Crew, scoring the winning goal on a header from a set piece in the 49th minute, to give Cincinnati their first ever win in the MLS over their interstate rival. [8] [9]

Following the 2021 season, Cincinnati declined their contract option on Hagglund. [10] He re-signed with the team on January 14, 2022. [11]

Hagglund was a regular contributor for Cincinnati in 2021, 2022, and 2023, making 24, 32, and 27 regular season appearances in those seasons. However, he was then plagued by a string of injuries that limited his playing time beginning in the 2023 postseason. On November 1, 2023, the team confirmed that Hagglund would miss the rest of the playoffs due to an undisclosed injury, [12] later revealed to be a torn hamstring.

One month after his hamstring injury, Hagglund appeared before Cincinnati's match against Columbus Crew in the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs. He walked onto the pitch in crutches before tossing them aside and pulling a sword from a stone. Nick Hagglund sword pull (PXL 20231202 230113110) (cropped).jpg
One month after his hamstring injury, Hagglund appeared before Cincinnati's match against Columbus Crew in the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs. He walked onto the pitch in crutches before tossing them aside and pulling a sword from a stone.

He spent the offseason recovering from surgery and missed the first four matches of the 2024 season. He made his return a substitute in the second half of a home match against New York City FC on March 23, 2024. [14] He would then make ten appearances for the season, six of them as a starter. However, on June 22, he had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher after suffering a broken fibula from a collision with New England Revolution's Esmir Bajraktarevic. [15] On July 5, the club announced that he had undergone a successful ankle ligament reconstructive surgery and would miss the remainder of the 2024 season to recover. [16]

Hagglund's recovery took longer than expected, as an MRI scan taken three months after surgery revealed the fibula still needed more time to heal. Hagglund's contract was renewed for three more years in January 2025, and he thus continued his rehabilitation at Cincinnati's 2025 preseason camp. [17] Working through pain, he tried to speed up his recovery timeline in anticipation of the March 2025 international duty window, during which the club expected to lose some of their center-backs. He played in two FC Cincinnati 2 matches in early March before making his return to MLS play on March 22. [18]

On May 25, Hagglund departed the pitch early after being knocked down by Emmanuel Latte Lath in the 10th minute of an away match against Atlanta United FC. No foul was given at the time, and a VAR check did not find cause to recommend a red card. [19] The club announced the following day that Hagglund had suffered two broken ribs and a collapsed lung. He underwent two procedures at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. The club said he is expected to make a full recovery, but as of May 27, no timeline or expected recovery date has been announced. [20]

Career statistics

As of match played August 7, 2025 [21] [22]
ClubSeasonLeaguePlayoffs [a] National cup [b] League cup [c] ContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Toronto FC 2014 MLS 25220272
2015 MLS12020140
2016 MLS1606140261
2017 MLS15040190
2018 MLS203404 [d] 01 [e] 0293
Totals88510112040101156
Toronto FC II (loan) 2015 USL 1010
2016 USL4141
2018 USL1010
Totals6161
FC Cincinnati 2019 MLS22020240
2020 MLS111111
2021 MLS241241
2022 MLS3212020361
2023 MLS2714030341
2024 MLS100100
2025 MLS10010110
Totals13642080401504
FC Cincinnati 2 (loan) 2024 MLS Next Pro 1010
2025 MLSNP3030
Totals4040
Career totals2341012120040401027511

Honors

Toronto FC [21]

FC Cincinnati

Individual

References

  1. "Nick Hagglund Player Profile". Xavier University. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Nick Hagglund Player Profile". Major League Soccer. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  3. "Columbus Crew 0, Toronto FC 2 MLS Match Recap". Major League Soccer. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  4. "Toronto FC 3, Portland Timbers 2 MLS Match Recap". Major League Soccer. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  5. "Konopka and Hagglund Loaned to Toronto FC II". WakingTheRed.com. August 19, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  6. "Toronto FC 5, Montreal Impact 2 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Recap". Major League Soccer. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  7. "Club Acquires Defender Nick Hagglund". FC Cincinnati. January 23, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  8. "Kubo, Hagglund score; FC Cincinnati gets first win over Crew". Toronto Star . October 14, 2020.
  9. "GOAL: Nick Hagglund scores the game winner". FC Cincinnati . October 14, 2020.
  10. "Who's in, who's out? 13 MLS clubs announce roster decisions following 2021 season | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  11. "FC Cincinnati re-sign defender Nick Hagglund". FC Cincinnati.[ dead link ]
  12. Brennan, Pat (November 1, 2023). "FC Cincinnati: Nick Hagglund out for the rest of MLS Cup playoff run". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  13. Schramm, Molly (December 2, 2023). "FC Cincinnati close out remarkable season with 3-2 loss to Columbus Crew in Eastern Conference Final". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  14. Brennan, Pat (March 26, 2024). "How Nick Hagglund used coffee to contribute to FC Cincinnati during surgery recovery". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  15. Schramm, Molly (June 23, 2024). "FC Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund suffered broken fibula during match with New England Revolution". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  16. "FC Cincinnati's Nick Hagglund out for 2024 with ankle injury". MLSSoccer.com. Major League Soccer. July 5, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  17. Jordan, Felicia (January 15, 2025). "FC Cincinnati re-signing defender and Cincy native Nick Hagglund". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  18. Chapley, Carter (March 25, 2025). "Nick Hagglund makes a triumphant return to action with FC Cincinnati: 'I thought I was never going to play again'". FCCincinnati.com. FC Cincinnati. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  19. Pfahler, Laurel (May 26, 2025). "FC Cincinnati suffers gut-punching loss at Atlanta United" . Queen City Press. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  20. Schramm, Molly (May 26, 2025). "FC Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund suffered broken ribs, collapsed lung in injury against Atlanta United FC". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  21. 1 2 Nick Hagglund at Soccerway
  22. "Nick Hagglund » Club matches". World Football. Retrieved January 7, 2019.