Nick Hagglund

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.

Career Xavier University

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.

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

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

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

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.

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. 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.

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

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, 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.

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. 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. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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 no timeline or expected recovery date has been announced.

Career statistics

Honors Toronto FC MLS Cup: 2017 Supporters' Shield: 2017 Eastern Conference Winners (Playoffs): 2016, 2017 Canadian Championship: 2016, 2017 Trillium Cup: 2016, 2017

FC Cincinnati Supporters' Shield: 2023

Individual MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award: 2025 Big East Defensive Player of the Year: 2013 All-Big East First Team: 2013