Sydney Wathuta

Sydney Wathuta (born June 11, 2004) is a South African professional soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.

Early life Wathuta was born in East London, South Africa, to Kenyan parents. His family moved to Calgary, Canada, and that is where he grew up.

Wathuta played youth soccer with Power FC, Calgary Blizzard SC and New Frontier SC. In 2014, he had a training stint in England with Brentford.

College career In 2023, Wathuta began attending the University of Vermont, where he played for the men's soccer team. On September 26, 2023, he scored his first collegiate goal in a 1–1 draw against the UMass Minutemen, which earned him America East Conference Co-Rookie of the Week honours. At the end of his first season, he was named to the America East Conference All-Rookie Team. Ahead of his sophomore season, he was named to the America East All-Preseason team. That season, he helped Vermont win their first NCAA title and finished the season second in the nation with 14 assists. At the end of the season, he was named the America East Midfielder of the Year and named to the All-America East First Team and All-ECAC Second Team. In 2023, he made two appearances for Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS Next Pro.

In 2024, he joined USL League Two side Vermont Green FC for their 2024 U.S. Open Cup matches in March and April. He then subsequently returned to the Whitecaps FC Academy for the 2024 season. On July 14, 2024, he scored a hat trick in a 4–3 victory over Burnaby FC.

At the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, Wathuta was selected in the first round (16th overall) by the Colorado Rapids. In January 2025, he signed a professional contract with their second team, Colorado Rapids 2, in MLS Next Pro. On March 7, 2025, he made his debut in a match against Austin FC II. He scored his first goal on May 18, 2025, in a 2–1 victory over the Real Monarchs. In July 2025, he signed a short-term loan with the Colorado Rapids first team ahead of a pair of Leagues Cup matches. On August 7, 2025, he signed another short-term loan, making his first team debut the same day in a Leagues Cup match against Mexican side Cruz Azul, recording an assist in a 2–2 draw. He signed another two short-term loans that season. On August 16, 2025, he made his MLS debut as a late game substitute against.

In February 2026, he signed a first team contract with the Colorado Rapids through June 2027, with two additional options for the 2027–28 and 2028–29 seasons.

Career statistics

Honours Vermont Catamounts

NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament: 2024