 Rossi withColumbus Crew in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Diego Martín Rossi Marachlián[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1998-03-05)5 March 1998 (age 27) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | |||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Columbus Crew | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | Uruguay Solymar | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2016 | Peñarol | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Peñarol | 46 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Los Angeles FC | 104 | (48) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | →Fenerbahçe (loan) | 31 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Fenerbahçe | 33 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Columbus Crew | 73 | (31) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Uruguay U15 | 26 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Uruguay U17 | 23 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Uruguay U18 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Uruguay U20 | 18 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Uruguay U23 | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Uruguay | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 03:12, 5 October 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20 June 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
Diego Martín Rossi Marachlián (born 5 March 1998) is a Uruguayan professionalfootballer who plays as awinger orforward forMajor League Soccer clubColumbus Crew.
Rossi began playing football as a child at the El Queso school inSolymar.[3] At the age of six, Rossi moved to the Solymar Uruguay Sports Center, with which he competed in the Interbalnearian League of Youth Football. He demonstrated his ability in the club and caught the attention ofPeñarol, where he joined their academy at the age of 12.Néstor Gonçalves discovered him and was invited to play a friendly tournament inAlegrete with the a team, where he eventually was offered a contract.
At the age of 14, Rossi was the top scorer for the team's under-14 team in the Uruguayan seventh tier, where he was a top scorer in 2012 with 42 goals in 27 matches.[4][5] The following year, Rossi joined the Peñarol youth team in theUruguayan sixth division, where he scored 25 times in 17 appearances.[6] With Penarol's U-15 team, Rossi helped the team win the Apertura Tournament and the Uruguayan U-15 Championship as well as the Fabian Lomineto Cup.[7][8]
In 2014, he was the top scorer of the Uruguayan Premier Division Under-16 Tournament, scoring 17 goals in the first half of the year, where Peñarol came out champions of the U-16 Clausura Tournament.[9]
On 7 April 2015, he was invited to train with the first-team squad of Peñarol for the first time, along with his teammates from the under-17 teamSantiago Bueno andFederico Valverde.[10]
He was promoted byPablo Bengoechea to the first team for the 2015–16 season in August. Rossi alternated the practices with their U-18 team and Peñarol's senior team, but he played with the U-17 club and in the Third or Fourth Division for the entirety of the season.
He finished 2015 helping the Peñarol's U-17 team win the Apertura U-17 Tournament, and after beatingDanubio in a final in which he scored a goal.[11] For the fourth consecutive year he was the top scorer of the championship, with 22 goals plus one in the final, although he played ten games in the Fourth and Third Division.[12]
On 5 January 2016, Rossi began the preseason with the Peñarol first team. He debuted with the club on 16 January 2016, in the Bandes Cup final, where he came on in the 7th minute forGabriel Leyes in a 1–0 victory againstCerro Porteño. Rossi made his debut with the club at the age of 17 years and 317 days old. At the end of the 2015–16 season, Rossi was demoted to the second team following a change in managerial leadership, where Bengoechea was sacked andJorge Orosmán da Silva took over.
Following a series of poor results, da Silva called Rossi into the first team, where on 20 April 2016, he made his full debut with the club, playing againstSporting Cristal in the2016 Copa Libertadores group stage match.[13] Five days later, he scored his first professional goal againstRentistas after coming on as a second-half substitute forDiego Forlán.[14] Deployed as a striker at various youth levels, Rossi eventually shifted out as a winger when managerLeonardo Ramos believed his skillset would offer more in a wider position without having to sacrifice any of Peñarol’s other forwards in the starting lineup.[15][16]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion with: more details about time with LAFC. You can help byadding missing information.(December 2024) |
On 14 December 2017, Rossi was transferred toLos Angeles FC ofMajor League Soccer, an expansion franchise that began play in 2018.[17][18] On 4 March 2018, Rossi made his MLS debut in Seattle againstSeattle Sounders FC. Rossi's goal in the 11th minute was the first goal in Los Angeles FC history. The goal was also the fastest goal by an expansion team in MLS history.[19] The following match, Rossi scored a brace and added an assist in the 5–1 trouncing ofReal Salt Lake.[20][21] On 8 August 2018, Rossi scored all three goals for his club and recorded his first hat-trick in MLS during aU.S. Open Cup semifinal match against theHouston Dynamo, a game in which LAFC ultimately lost in penalty kicks.[22]
During the 2019 season, Rossi scored in the opening match of the season, a 2–1 victory for LAFC. He scored in three consecutive matches twice, notably netting a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over D.C. United on 6 April.[23] At the conclusion of the regular season, LAFC won their first everSupporters' Shield for having the best record during the regular season.[24]
On 18 July 2020, Rossi became the 13th MLS player and first LAFC player to score four goals in a match, doing so in a 6–2 victory over rivalsLA Galaxy in theMLS is Back Tournament group stage. During the playoffs, Rossi missed the round of 16 loss toSeattle Sounders FC after testing positive for COVID-19 while on international duty.[25] He finished the pandemic-shortened2020 season with 14 goals, which won him theMLS Golden Boot, as well as a spot on both theMLS Best XI, and theCONCACAF Champions League Best XI.[26][27]
After missing the first two games of the 2021 season due to injury, Rossi made his season debut week three inHouston.[28] He scored his first goal of the season in the following game, a 2–1 loss against the LA Galaxy. On 22 May, he scored a brace against theColorado Rapids.[29]
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On 1 September 2021, it was announced that Rossi would joinSüper Lig clubFenerbahçe on loan with an option to buy, making him the second Armenian-heritage footballer to play in the Turkish league afterAras Özbiliz.[30][31] He made his debut for Fenerbahçe in Week 4 of the league against Sivasspor, playing the full 90 minutes. He made his Europa League debut four days later in a group stage game againstEintracht Frankfurt His first assist came in Week 6 againstGiresunspor, setting upFerdi Kadıoğlu’s goal in a match Fenerbahçe won 2–1.[32] Rossi scored his first goal for the club in Week 7 with a volley againstHatayspor, contributing to another 2–1 victory.[33][34] The following week, Rossi provided both assists in his team's 2–1 victory. He was substituted in the 67th minute and received a standing ovation from Fenerbahçe fans.[35] He scored in the 3rd minute againstTrabzonspor the next game, marking his team's only goal in a match that ended in a 3–1 loss after Fenerbahçe went down to 10 men.[36] On 15 April 2022, Fenerbahçe announced that they acquired Rossi on a permanent transfer for a reported $6 million (€5.5 million).[37][38] He signed a three-year contract, beginning with the2022–23 season.[39] He scored goals in back-to-back games, first againstRizespor on 22 April, followed by a game at home againstGaziantep FK.[40]
During the 2022–23 season, He scored four goals across 33 league appearances. Notably, he assisted two goals in his side's 4–0 win overHatayspor.[41] Rossi helped Fenerbahçe qualify for the group stage of theEuropa League, where they finished first in their group.[42] Fenerbahçe would be eliminated in the next round bySpanish teamSevilla 2–1 on aggregate.[43] He was part of the team that won theTurkish Cup,[44] giving him his first and only trophy with the "Yellow Canaries".
On 2 August 2023, Rossi joinedColumbus Crew on a three-year contract, returning to MLS after two years in Turkey.[45] The agreement included a base transfer fee of $5.63 million with a $1 million bonus fee and a 15% sell-on clause.[46][47] Rossi made his debut for the Crew on 20 August againstFC Cincinnati.[48] He scored the first goal with his new club in the next match, a 2–0 win againstToronto FC.[49] On 4 October, he scored and assisted in the 2–1 win away from home versus theNew England Revolution.[50] During theMLS Cup playoffs, he had an assist in three straight games, the final of which included a goal of his own.[48] He scored the tying goal in the eventualEastern Conference Finals win versus FC Cincinnati.[51] Rossi ended his truncated 2023 season with 16 appearances, five goals, five assists, and anMLS Cup.[52][53]
At the start of the 2024 season, Rossi struggled to find his scoring touch, failing to score a goal in eight games before scoring in the quarterfinals of theCONCACAF Champions Cup againstTigres UANL.[54] He netted a goal in each leg of the series, accounting for his club's only two goals as his team advanced via penalty shootout. In the semifinals againstMonterrey, Rossi delivered the match-winning goal in the second leg, securing the Crew's spot in thefinal. For his performance in the competition, Rossi was named in the Champions Cup Best XI.[55] Rossi carried his strong cup form into league play, scoring in three consecutive matches, including a brace againstOrlando City. After a brief scoring drought of four games, he rebounded with a streak of four consecutive matches where he scored one goal in each, all resulting in victories for Columbus. On July 20, he scored his team's only goal in a 2–1 defeat againstAtlanta United. The league season was put on pause as the team participated inLeagues Cup, Where Rossi scored a brace in back-to-back games againstSporting KC andInter Miami, respectively. He scored a brace in the semifinal match win versusPhiladelphia Union, en route to winning the Leagues Cup.[56] After the resumption of league play, Rossi scored three more times in the regular season, ending his 2024 season with 21 goals in 48 games throughout all competitions.[54][56]
On the first game of the 2025 season, Rossi scored a brace in a 4–2 win at home againstChicago Fire FC.[57] He scored a penalty in theCONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 match versus Los Angeles FC.[58] He scored both goals in a come-from-behind 2–1 win atD.C. United.[59] On 13 September, He scored a hat-trick in 39 minutes in a game atAtlanta United, before coming off injured just three minutes later.[60]
Rossi began his international career for Uruguay with under-15 team and went on to earn caps for Uruguay's different age level national teams. He was part of Uruguay squad at2013 South American U-15 Championship,2015 South American U-17 Championship,2017 South American U-20 Championship, and2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.[61] In total, he scored 28 goals in 82 matches for Uruguay's youth national teams.[62]
On 18 September 2020, Rossi was included in Uruguay's 26-man preliminary squad forWorld Cup qualifying matches againstChile andEcuador.[62] On 5 October 2020, Rossi was included in the final squad as a replacement for injuredCristhian Stuani.[63]
"One of the first qualities I developed was the ability to stay calm no matter what. I still have this. If I score a hat trick, I don’t get carried away. If I miss nine chances in a match, I don’t get too low. I keep my emotions stable. I think that has enabled me to score goals on a more consistent basis, and that is important because consistency wins you titles."
Comfortable attacking on either wing or as acentre-forward, Rossi's playing style is marked by his pace, work rate, calmness on the ball, and off-ball movement. While he often drifts from wide positions into half-spaces, he also regularly drops deeper to get on the ball. From there, he can use his speed and agility to take on defenders, while also having the technical ability and vision to provide precise passes to his teammates.[65][66][67][68][69]
Rossi is ofItalian descent through his paternal side andArmenian descent through his maternal side.[70] He had received invitations to play for theArmenia national team, which he refused given his desire to representUruguay.[71] His younger brotherNicolás is also a professional footballer and has pledged to play for the Armenia national team.[72]
Rossi states his idol asLuis Suárez.[73][74]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Peñarol | 2015–16 | Uruguayan Primera División | 6 | 1 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 1 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |||||
| 2017 | 31 | 10 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 36 | 10 | |||
| Total | 43 | 12 | — | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 51 | 13 | |||
| Los Angeles FC | 2018 | MLS | 32 | 12 | 4 | 5 | — | 1[e] | 0 | 37 | 17 | |
| 2019 | 34 | 16 | 3 | 1 | — | 2[e] | 1 | 39 | 18 | |||
| 2020 | 19[f] | 14 | — | 5[g] | 2 | 2[h] | 2 | 26 | 18 | |||
| 2021 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 6 | |||
| Total | 104 | 48 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 121 | 59 | ||
| Fenerbahçe (loan) | 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 31 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 6[i] | 0 | — | 39 | 6 | |
| Fenerbahçe | 2022–23 | 33 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 12[j] | 0 | — | 51 | 4 | ||
| Total | 64 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 0 | — | 90 | 10 | |||
| Columbus Crew | 2023 | MLS | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 6[e] | 2 | 16 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 34 | 12 | — | 7[g] | 3 | 7[k] | 6 | 48 | 21 | |||
| 2025 | 29 | 16 | — | 2[g] | 1 | 6[l] | 2 | 37 | 19 | |||
| Total | 73 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 19 | 10 | 101 | 45 | ||
| Career total | 285 | 101 | 15 | 6 | 37 | 6 | 27 | 14 | 364 | 127 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 2022 | 4 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 June 2022 | Estadio Centenario,Montevideo, Uruguay |  Panama | 5–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
Peñarol
Los Angeles FC
Fenerbahçe
Columbus Crew
Uruguay Youth
Individual
