Shaq Moore Bio
Shaquell Kwame “Shaq” Moore (born November 2, 1996) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and the United States national team. A native of Powder Springs, Georgia, Moore developed his game at the IMG Academy before launching a career that took him through Spanish football and back to MLS. He is a 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup winner with the U.S. men’s national team.
Moore came up through the IMG Academy and was an MLS prospect at FC Dallas in 2014, but he chose to build his trade in Spain, where he learned the defensive discipline associated with La Liga. After six seasons across Levante, Reus, and Tenerife, he returned to MLS with Nashville SC in 2022 and was traded to FC Dallas in late 2024.
Early Life and Background
Shaquell Kwame Moore was born on November 2, 1996, in Powder Springs, Georgia, in the United States. He grew up in a household with strong soccer ties: his father, Wendell Moore, is a former Trinidad and Tobago national team player, and through his mother he is the nephew of Richard Goddard, a goalkeeper who represented the Caribbean nation.
Moore attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, one of the most respected youth development programs in American soccer. In April 2014, he began training with FC Dallas of Major League Soccer, a stint that gave him an early window into a first-team environment. That same year, he opted to continue his development overseas, traveling to Spain to train with clubs in the Valencia region.
His older brother, CJ Moore, also played college soccer, appearing for the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in 2012, reinforcing the family’s deep connection to the sport.
Path to Soccer
Moore’s pathway to the professional ranks ran through Spain. In August 2014, he trained with three Valencia-based clubs, including Levante UD and Valencia CF, before being assigned to Huracán Valencia CF’s Juvenil A squad while the club processed his international transfer certificate. He signed his first senior contract with Huracán on May 9, 2015, and made his senior debut on August 22, 2015, as a second-half substitute in a 1-1 Segunda División B draw against CD Atlético Baleares.
After limited playing time with Huracán, Moore signed with Real Oviedo Vetusta, the Asturian club’s reserve side, on January 7, 2016. He was on the move again on August 30, 2016, joining Atlético Levante UD, Levante’s third-division reserve team. By 2017, his form in the lower divisions earned him a chance with Levante’s first team, setting the stage for a top-flight debut in La Liga.
Shaq Moore Career
Early Career (2015-2016)
Moore’s first professional chapter in Spain unfolded across three reserve teams. He played for Huracán Valencia CF in 2015, moved to Real Oviedo Vetusta in early 2016, and later that year joined Atlético Levante UD, the reserve arm of La Liga side Levante. Each step sharpened his tactical understanding and his ability to operate in a back four built on positional discipline.
Senior minutes arrived quickly after he signed with Huracán, and his consistent play in the Tercera División and Segunda División B earned him a first-team opportunity at Levante. That pathway from Spanish third-tier football to La Liga remains the foundation of his game.
Levante Breakthrough (2017-2019)
Moore received his first senior matchday call-up on September 30, 2017, for a La Liga fixture against Deportivo Alavés. He made his first-team debut for Levante on October 26, 2017, starting in a 2-0 away win over Girona FC in the Copa del Rey. Three days later, he debuted in La Liga, replacing Ivi in a 2-2 draw at SD Eibar. His first La Liga start followed on November 18, 2017, in a 2-0 win at UD Las Palmas, a milestone that made him only the fourth American to play in Spain’s top flight, following Kasey Keller, Jozy Altidore, and Oguchi Onyewu. He finished that campaign with eight first-team appearances for Levante.
On July 13, 2018, Moore agreed to a season-long loan with Segunda División side CF Reus Deportiu, a move designed to give him regular minutes at a higher level. The loan ended abruptly on December 28, 2018, when he was one of five players who left the club because of unpaid wages.
Tenerife Era (2019-2022)
On July 24, 2019, Moore signed a three-year contract with CD Tenerife of the Segunda División, and in May 2020, the club extended the deal through 2024. Over the next three seasons, he became a regular on the right side of the Canary Islands club’s back line, playing 101 total games for Tenerife.
His lone goal for the club came on February 8, 2020, opening a 4-2 win at Extremadura UD. Moore’s final match for Tenerife was the 2021-22 Segunda División promotion playoff final on June 19, 2022, a 3-1 home loss to Girona FC that ended the club’s push for La Liga.
Nashville SC Era (2022-2024)
On July 19, 2022, Moore signed with Major League Soccer side Nashville SC for a reported $2 million transfer fee. He made his MLS debut 11 days later in a 1-1 home draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, playing 63 minutes. The move gave him a steady role in American soccer after years in Spain.
Across his Nashville SC spell, Moore established himself as a reliable right-back and a veteran presence in the locker room, helping the club compete in the Eastern Conference. He was traded to FC Dallas on December 27, 2024, in a deal that sent up to $150,000 in General Allocation Money to Nashville.
FC Dallas Era (2024-Present)
FC Dallas acquired Shaq Moore from Nashville SC on December 27, 2024, bringing the right-back back to the organization where he had first trained as a teenager in April 2014. The trade reunited him with the club that originally helped launch his professional career.
His arrival added experienced right-sided depth to the FC Dallas roster as the team prepared for the 2025 Major League Soccer season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Moore is a defense-first right-back whose game is built on positioning, tackling, and dependable one-on-one defending. He reads the game quickly on the flank, supports overlapping runs when the moment is right, and uses his crossing to deliver service from wide areas. Years in the Spanish second and first divisions shaped his tactical discipline, and his experience with the U.S. national team has polished his decision-making under pressure.
Notable Events and Milestones
Moore’s signature moment came on July 18, 2021, when he scored for the United States against Canada in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The strike came after just 20 seconds, breaking Clint Dempsey’s record for the fastest U.S. goal by 14 seconds. He went on to play every game as the U.S. won the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and he was later named to the U.S. squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Shaq Moore Career Wins
Moore’s most significant team trophy is the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, won with the United States men’s national team. He has not lifted a major club trophy, but he has built a respected career in Spain and Major League Soccer, reaching a Segunda División promotion playoff final with CD Tenerife in 2022.
International Highlights
Moore represented the United States at the under-17, under-18, and under-20 levels, captaining the U-17s during the 2012-13 cycle and appearing at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior debut on June 2, 2018, replacing DeAndre Yedlin in a friendly loss to the Republic of Ireland. He won the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and was a member of the U.S. squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Other Wins & Performances
Moore helped CD Tenerife reach the 2021-22 Segunda División promotion playoff final, where the club fell 3-1 at home to Girona FC on June 19, 2022. He also won silverware at the youth international level with U.S. age-group teams.
Shaq Moore Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Moore comes from a multi-national soccer family. His father, Wendell Moore, is a former professional player who represented Trinidad and Tobago, and his older brother, CJ, played college soccer for the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in 2012. Through his mother’s side, he is the nephew of Richard Goddard, a goalkeeper for Trinidad and Tobago.
Personal Life
Moore was born and raised in Powder Springs, Georgia, and remains closely tied to his family, which has shaped his identity as a player. His dual national heritage led to early approaches from Trinidad and Tobago, but he chose to represent the United States, where he grew up and developed as a footballer.
2025 Season Performance
Shaq Moore enters the 2025 Major League Soccer season with FC Dallas after being traded from Nashville SC in late December 2024. The move returned him to the organization where he first trained as a teenager in 2014, and the club views him as a veteran right-back capable of stabilizing the back line.
His years of experience in La Liga and the Segunda División, combined with his time at Nashville SC, give the FC Dallas coaching staff a reliable defender for one of the league’s most demanding positions. He is expected to compete for a starting role at right-back from the opening matches of the campaign.
Moore’s mix of Spanish tactical discipline, top-flight experience, and international pedigree with the U.S. national team should make him a key piece of FC Dallas’s 2025 season as the club pushes for a return to the MLS Cup Playoffs.