Maximiliano Urruti Bio
Maximiliano “Maxi” Nicolás Urruti Mussa, born on 22 February 1991 in Rosario, Argentina, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker. Standing 183 centimeters tall, Urruti has built a long career across South American and North American competitions since turning professional in 2011. He is widely recognized by the nickname “Maxi” and has represented clubs in both the Argentine Primera División and Major League Soccer.
After beginning his senior career with Newell’s Old Boys in his hometown of Rosario, Urruti moved to Major League Soccer in 2013, where he became a reliable goal-scorer and a respected veteran. Over more than a decade in the professional game, he has turned out for Toronto FC, Portland Timbers, FC Dallas, Montreal Impact, Houston Dynamo, Austin FC, Platense, and New England Revolution, contributing important goals in league play, cup competitions, and continental tournaments.
Early Life and Background
Maximiliano Nicolás Urruti Mussa was born on 22 February 1991 in Rosario, a city in the Santa Fe province of Argentina long known for producing top football talent. He is the son of Juan José Urruti and Claudia Mussa, and he has a sister named Lorena. His family environment offered an early immersion in the sport, as his father had been a footballer who earned one cap for the Argentina national team.
Juan José Urruti played professionally in Argentina, Spain, Bolivia, and Chile, exposing his son to the rhythms and demands of the game from a young age. Growing up in a household shaped by professional football, Maximiliano developed his craft on the youth fields of Newell’s Old Boys, the historic Rosario club where his father had also spent time. That grounding in a competitive local football culture became a defining influence on his path.
Path to Professional Soccer
Urruti rose through the youth ranks at Newell’s Old Boys, eventually earning promotion to the senior squad in 2011. He made his professional debut on 14 May 2011, getting the start in a 3–0 loss to Racing Club in the Argentine Primera División. He ended the 2011 Apertura season with one goal from seven appearances as Newell’s finished 18th in the table.
During the 2012 Clausura, Urruti established himself as a regular contributor, finishing with six goals in nineteen appearances and helping Newell’s to a sixth-place finish. In the 2012–13 season he made fourteen appearances during the Torneo Inicial before scoring five goals in fourteen appearances during the Torneo Final, contributing to Newell’s winning the 2013 Torneo Final championship. Urruti also appeared in the Superfinal against Vélez Sarsfield and made six appearances in the Copa Libertadores as the club reached the semifinals.
Maximiliano Urruti Career
Early Career at Newell’s Old Boys and Toronto FC (2011–2013)
Urruti’s early professional years at Newell’s Old Boys prepared him for a move abroad. His consistent scoring in domestic play and his experience in the Copa Libertadores helped draw attention from Major League Soccer clubs, setting the stage for his transfer to North America.
On 16 August 2013, Urruti signed with Major League Soccer club Toronto FC, making his debut the next day as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 away defeat to Columbus Crew. His time with Toronto was brief, as the club traded him to Portland Timbers less than a month later.
Portland Timbers Breakthrough (2013–2015)
Urruti joined the Portland Timbers on 9 September 2013, scoring his first goal for the club on 29 September in a 1–0 win over the LA Galaxy. He finished the regular season with one goal from five appearances, helping Portland finish top of the Western Conference and reach the conference finals.
In 2014, Urruti became a regular scorer for Portland, netting ten goals and adding two assists across thirty MLS regular-season appearances, including a stoppage-time winner against D.C. United on 3 May and a brace against the Columbus Crew on 24 May. The following year he added four goals and three assists in thirty appearances, helping Portland finish third in the Western Conference. His most iconic moment came in the 2015 playoffs when he scored in the 118th minute against Sporting Kansas City to level the tie at 2–2 and converted his penalty in the 7–6 shoot-out win. He then made four substitute appearances as Portland won MLS Cup 2015, defeating the Columbus Crew 2–1 in the final.
FC Dallas Era (2016–2018)
FC Dallas selected Urruti with the first pick of the 2015 MLS Re-Entry Draft on 11 December 2015. He opened his Dallas account on 6 March 2016 with a goal in a 2–0 win over the Philadelphia Union and ended his debut season with nine goals and four assists in thirty appearances, helping Dallas win the Supporters’ Shield for the most points in the regular season. He also scored twice in the U.S. Open Cup final on 13 September as Dallas beat the New England Revolution 4–2.
In 2017, Urruti scored twelve goals and added five assists across thirty-two appearances, including a brace against New England that earned him MLS Player of the Week honors. The 2018 season brought eight goals and eleven assists in thirty-three appearances as Dallas returned to the playoffs. During his time with Dallas, he also contributed in the CONCACAF Champions League knockout rounds.
Montreal Impact, Houston Dynamo, and Austin FC (2019–2023)
Urruti was traded to the Montreal Impact on 9 December 2018, signing a new three-year contract ahead of the 2019 season. He finished with four goals and six assists in thirty-one regular-season appearances and played in all six matches as Montreal won the 2019 Canadian Championship, defeating Toronto FC in the final. In the shortened 2020 season he added five goals and two assists across fifteen appearances, helping Montreal qualify for the playoffs before undergoing knee surgery in November.
Traded to the Houston Dynamo on 18 January 2021, Urruti opened the season with a debut goal in a 2–1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes and scored seven goals with four assists in thirty appearances. On 28 December 2021 he signed with Austin FC on a two-year contract with an additional one-year option, before the club announced on 17 November 2023 that it would not exercise the 2024 option. He later joined Platense in 2024 before returning to Major League Soccer.
New England Revolution (2025)
On 16 January 2025 Urruti signed with the New England Revolution as a free agent on a one-year contract through the 2025 Major League Soccer season, with a one-year club option for 2026. He made his Revolution debut off the bench in the 2025 home-opener on 1 March, entering in the 82nd minute for Jackson Yueill in a 1–0 loss to the Columbus Crew. The club later waived him on 14 August 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Urruti is known for his poacher’s instinct in the penalty area, his willingness to make well-timed runs behind defensive lines, and his calm finishing in tight spaces. He combines reliable hold-up play with sharp movement off the ball, allowing him to link with wide creators and midfield runners.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the highlights of Urruti’s career are his equalizing goal and penalty conversion in the 2015 MLS Cup playoff shoot-out with Portland, his brace in the 2016 U.S. Open Cup final with FC Dallas, and his role in Montreal’s 2019 Canadian Championship triumph. He also reached the Copa Libertadores semifinals with Newell’s Old Boys in 2013 and the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal with Dallas in 2017.
Maximiliano Urruti Career Wins
Maximiliano Urruti has collected major team honors across two continents, lifting the 2013 Torneo Final with Newell’s Old Boys, the 2015 MLS Cup with the Portland Timbers, the 2016 Supporters’ Shield and U.S. Open Cup with FC Dallas, and the 2019 Canadian Championship with the Montreal Impact.
MLS and Major Honors Highlights
Urruti’s most celebrated MLS moment came with the Portland Timbers in 2015, when his late equalizer and composed penalty helped the club eliminate Sporting Kansas City before lifting MLS Cup against the Columbus Crew. With FC Dallas he was a central figure in the 2016 Supporters’ Shield win and the U.S. Open Cup triumph over the New England Revolution.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his top-flight silverware, Urruti helped Newell’s Old Boys reach the Copa Libertadores semifinals in 2013 and contributed goals for FC Dallas in the CONCACAF Champions League knockout stages. He also played a part in every round of Montreal’s 2019 Canadian Championship run, adding consistent performances across league and cup play.
Maximiliano Urruti Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Urruti is the son of Juan José Urruti, a former professional footballer who earned one cap for the Argentina national team and played in Argentina, Spain, Bolivia, and Chile, and Claudia Mussa. He has a sister named Lorena, and his father’s international career gave him an early window into the demands and rewards of professional football.
Personal Life
Urruti holds a U.S. green card, which qualifies him as a domestic player for Major League Soccer roster purposes. He is married to Ivon, and the couple have a son together. His long career across Argentina, Canada, the United States, and Mexico has shaped a family life closely tied to the rhythm of the professional game.
2025 Season Performance
Maximiliano Urruti joined the New England Revolution ahead of the 2025 Major League Soccer season on a one-year contract, bringing veteran leadership to a retooling attack. His debut came on 1 March 2025 against the Columbus Crew, where he entered as an 82nd-minute substitute for Jackson Yueill in a narrow 1–0 loss.
Urruti was unable to cement a regular starting role during the campaign, and on 14 August 2025 the club waived him, ending his time in New England. The 2025 season therefore marked a brief return to Major League Soccer rather than a long-term chapter.
Looking beyond 2025, Urruti’s future direction remains open. With more than a decade of professional football behind him, including titles in two countries, he continues to bring scoring experience, dressing-room leadership, and a poacher’s profile to any club seeking a reliable veteran striker.