Longtime Premier League and Belgium star, Christian Benteke, is set to hit free agency after two and a half seasons with D.C. United, where he won the 2024 MLS Golden Boot
MLS side D.C. United is losing arguably its biggest star in former Belgium forward Christian Benteke, who announced on Monday that he will be entering free agency after two and a half seasons in America.
The team’s captain, who dealt with various injuries throughout the 2025 season, still managed to find the back of the net nine times in 26 games, leaving him their top scorer ahead of Gabriel Pirani with seven.
Unfortunately, this was somewhat representative of D.C.’s season, finishing bottom of the Eastern Conference with just 26 points after 34 games, despite René Weiler’s mid-season appointment as head coach, replacing Troy Lesesne. This wasn’t enough to turn things around at Audi Field, however, winning just five games all season, and just one since Weiler joined the fold.
READ MORE: USMNT gets major Lionel Messi boost with Copa America potentially set to returnREAD MORE: FIFA boss did not consult colleagues on Peace Prize Donald Trump is set to win
Benteke’s future appeared on rocky ground recently when D.C. announced that it had declined his contract option for 2026, although the team said it was “in discussions with his representatives about a potential return,” via the MLS.
But it simply wasn’t to be, with the former Crystal Palace and Liverpool forward posting on Monday, “Thank you to D.C. United for giving me the opportunity to grow and prove myself in MLS. To the fans, my teammates, the staff, and the city, your support during my 3 years meant everything to me. Grateful for the journey and ready for the next chapter.”
Since joining from Palace in the summer of 2022, initially under the leadership of Wayne Rooney, Benteke went on to score 49 goals and add a further 11 assists in 100 games in all competitions. During that run, the 45-time international, who has 18 goals for Belgium, was named an MLS All-Star twice, to the Best XI in 2024, and he won the 2024 Golden Boot with 23 goals in 30 games.
Unfortunately for Benteke, D.C. never finished higher than 10th in the Eastern Conference during his time in the MLS, failing to have a shot at the Playoffs.
This move leaves D.C. without a single Designated Player for the upcoming season, with each team permitted up to three. This unique MLS rule allows teams to pay a player above the league-specified maximum whilst still being charged the maximum against the salary cap, and is used to attract higher-profile stars to the MLS i.e., Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Son Heung-min at LAFC.
As such, it appears D.C. is now in full rebuild mode, with the contract options for Derek Dodson, Randall Leal, and Rida Zouhir all having been declined, while both Luis Barraza and Lukas MacNaughton are out of contract. The team remains in discussion with 20-year-old U.S. Men’s National Team youth international Kristian Fletcher, who missed most of this past season after undergoing ACL surgery.
