Minnesota signs veteran Julian Gressel off waivers til ’26

Minnesota United FC on Tuesday announced the signing of MLS veteran Julian Gressel off waivers.

Gressel will be under contract with the MLS club through December 2026, with a club option for 2027 after Inter Miami waived Gressel.

“I’m really excited to be here at Minnesota United and to get integrated into the group,” Julian Gressel said in a statement. “I can’t wait to get started with the guys and continue the momentum that has been established within the team.”

Gressel had long been reported to be heading out of South Florida. After making 32 league and playoff appearances during last year’s Supporters’ Shield-winning campaign, he did not play in a competitive match for Miami in 2025, and clearly didn’t fit into the plans of manager Javier Mascherano, who succeeded Gerardo “Tata” Martino after last season.

The 31-year-old was completely left off of the gameday roster more than once this season for Miami, including Sunday’s 4-3 loss to FC Dallas, with Mascherano opting to use 18-year-old Santiago Morales instead. He also failed to train with the team this week or travel for the semifinal first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup — a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

In two seasons with Miami, Gressel had 32 MLS regular-season game appearances with nine assists

“We welcome Julian and his family to Minnesota and are excited for him to join our team,” MNUFC chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad said. “Julian brings an impressive depth of MLS experience and championship pedigree to Minnesota. He is a proven winner and competitor and our hope is that he will contribute those qualities to our team and continue to push our club forward throughout the rest of this season and beyond.”

Gressel, the 2017 MLS Rookie of the Year, is a two-time MLS Cup winner, first with Atlanta United FC in 2018, and later with the Columbus Crew in 2023. He also was part of Altanta United FC’s U.S. Open Cup winning side in 2019, as well as the Vancouver Whitecaps Canadian Championship sides in 2022 and 2023.

Miami waived Gressel as a cost-saving measure. His salary with Miami included guaranteed compensation for 2025 of $1.09 million.

Internationally, Gressel has represented the United States. He was called up to camp for the first time in January of 2023 and was then named to the final squad ahead of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, where he earned his first cap in a group-stage victory over St. Kitts and Nevis. Thus far, Gressel has made six appearances for USMNT.