Duncan McGuire Bio
Duncan MacAllister McGuire (born February 5, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Orlando City and the United States national team. Standing 185 centimeters tall, the Nebraska native developed into one of college soccer’s most decorated strikers before turning professional with Orlando City in 2023.
A former Creighton Bluejays standout, McGuire was selected by Orlando City in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He quickly emerged as a reliable goalscorer for the Lions, finishing as the club’s top scorer in his rookie season, and later represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Early Life and Background
Duncan MacAllister McGuire was born on February 5, 2001, in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in the Omaha area and attended Creighton Preparatory School, where he starred on the soccer team for multiple seasons. His high school play earned him Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First Team honors in both 2018 and 2019, and he was selected for the 2019 Nebraska High School Soccer Senior Showcase. Outside of school matches, McGuire developed his game with Elkhorn SC in the local youth soccer system.
McGuire has described himself as someone who tried several sports growing up, but realized around the age of eight or nine that soccer was his strongest discipline. He spent much of his childhood focused on club play rather than watching professional matches on television, a routine that shaped his work ethic. He is one of four children, with two brothers and a sister. His younger brother Holden has Down syndrome, and McGuire has credited Holden with teaching him to appreciate small moments and to manage frustration on the field.
Path to Professional Soccer
McGuire attended Creighton University after spending a decade at the program’s youth summer camps, an early connection that helped him commit to the Bluejays. He redshirted his first year in 2019, then made his collegiate debut on February 20, 2021, against the Marquette Golden Eagles after the 2020 season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In that freshman season he appeared in all 12 matches, scored four goals with three assists, and earned a place on the All-Big East Second Team.
His redshirt sophomore year brought further progress, with five goals in 19 appearances, but 2022 was McGuire’s true breakout. He played in all 24 matches for Creighton, scored 23 goals to lead the nation, set a new Bluejays single-season scoring record, and helped the program win the 2022 Big East Conference men’s soccer tournament. Creighton also advanced to the NCAA College Cup semifinals. Individually, McGuire was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year, TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Year, and won the Hermann Trophy, becoming the first Creighton player to receive the honor since head coach Johnny Torres in 1997.
Duncan McGuire Career
Early Career (2022)
Before being drafted, McGuire spent the summer of 2022 with USL League Two side Lane United. He debuted in the club’s first game of the season and scored his first goal on May 21, 2022, in a 5–1 loss to Ballard FC. On June 4, he recorded two assists in a 2–0 victory over Oly Town FC, his first win with the team. Across 11 appearances for Lane United, McGuire scored four goals and added three assists, performances that helped raise his profile ahead of the MLS SuperDraft.
Orlando City Breakthrough (2023)
On December 21, 2022, Orlando City selected McGuire with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, and the club officially announced his signing on February 22, 2023. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his professional debut against D.C. United on March 11 in a 1–1 draw. During the Leagues Cup that summer, McGuire scored equalizers against Houston Dynamo FC and Santos Laguna, helping Orlando top its group and advance to the round of 32.
McGuire’s strong finish to the regular season included a goal contribution in each of Orlando’s final five matches and his first brace for the club, a two-goal performance in a 2–0 win over Toronto FC on October 22 that earned Goal of the Matchday honors. The Lions reached the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs quarterfinals before being eliminated by Columbus Crew. McGuire finished his debut campaign as Orlando’s top scorer with 15 goals across all competitions and 18 total goal contributions, second only to Facundo Torres.
Orlando City Era (2024–Present)
McGuire’s second season with Orlando began with a near-transfer to Blackburn Rovers that collapsed due to an administrative error in the registration documents, keeping him in MLS. He responded with the fastest goal in Orlando City history, scoring in under thirteen seconds against Minnesota United on March 9, breaking Tesho Akindele’s previous record. Later that year he helped lead Orlando into the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs before dislocating his shoulder in a November match against Charlotte FC. He underwent arthroscopic surgery in December to repair his right labrum and rotator cuff, an injury expected to sideline him for four to five months.
McGuire returned early from injury in March 2025, appearing as a substitute against the New York Red Bulls. His first goal back came on May 7, scoring in a 5–0 U.S. Open Cup win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. A second arthroscopic procedure, this time on his left labrum, was announced in June 2025 and forced him to miss additional matches, but he returned as a late substitute in the Leagues Cup semifinal against Inter Miami on August 27. McGuire finished the season with four goals and two assists across all competitions.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among McGuire’s signature moments are his record-breaking 13-second goal against Minnesota United, his brace against Toronto FC, and his role in Orlando’s 2024 playoff run that ended with a shoulder injury in the box against Charlotte FC. He also became the first Orlando City player selected for a United States Olympic Soccer Team, representing the country at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Duncan McGuire International Career
McGuire’s international career began with the United States under-23 national team in October 2023, when he scored his first international goal against Japan. In January 2024 he received his first senior national team call-up under Gregg Berhalter, entering as a substitute in a friendly loss to Slovenia on January 20.
2024 Summer Olympics
McGuire was selected for the United States Olympic Soccer Team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He started in group-stage matches against France and New Zealand and came on as a substitute in the victory over Guinea that secured advancement. The United States were eliminated 4–0 by Morocco in the quarterfinals, with McGuire entering again as a substitute.
Duncan McGuire Family
Personal Life
McGuire maintains close ties to his hometown of Omaha, where he tries to spend time during the MLS off-season. He is particularly close with his younger brother Holden, who has Down syndrome, and the two speak by phone or video call nearly every day. McGuire has said that Holden helped him learn to appreciate small moments and stay grounded amid the demands of professional soccer.
2025 Season Performance
McGuire entered 2025 recovering from December shoulder surgery and returned to the matchday squad on March 15 against the New York Red Bulls. He struggled to displace Luis Muriel in the starting lineup early in the season, but broke through with a goal in the U.S. Open Cup victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7.
A second arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder, announced in June 2025, kept him out for several additional weeks. McGuire returned to action in late August, appearing as an injury-time substitute in the Leagues Cup semifinal loss to Inter Miami. He finished the 2025 campaign with four goals and two assists across all competitions, his least prolific season as a professional, and continued his recovery and role rotation at Orlando City heading into the off-season.