Brenden Russell Aaronson (born October 22, 2000) is an American professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who plays as an

attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

or winger for club

Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...

and the

United States national team The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

Early life

Raised in

Medford, New Jersey Medford is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 24,497, an increase of 1,464 (+6.4%) from the 2010 census count of 23,033, which in turn reflected ...

, Aaronson attended Shawnee High School for a single year before being selected to the Philadelphia Union's YSC Academy, where he played soccer and completed his high school education. During his time at YSC Academy, Aaronson had played for Union's youth teams before committing to

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

and signing an amateur contract with

Bethlehem Steel FC Philadelphia Union II is an American professional soccer team based in Chester, Pennsylvania competing in MLS Next Pro. Founded in 2015 as Bethlehem Steel FC, the team is the official affiliate of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. ...

Club career

Bethlehem Steel

Aaronson appeared as an academy player playing for

during their 2017 season after coming through the

Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the Union began ...

academy. On September 30, 2017, Aaronson made his first start for Steel FC in an away draw versus

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...

. Aaronson made 21 appearances for Steel FC and scored his first goal for the professional side against

Atlanta United 2 Atlanta United 2 are the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC. The team plays in MLS Next Pro, the official reserve league of MLS. The team was established on November 14, 2017 and began their first professional seaso ...

Philadelphia Union

On September 17, 2018, it was announced that Aaronson would join the

at the beginning of their 2019 season. On March 17, 2019, the homegrown player scored his first professional goal in his MLS debut, helping Philadelphia tie against

Atlanta United Atlanta United FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Atlanta. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. Domestically, the club has won o ...

. Considered to be a back-up playmaker for the Union, injuries and suspensions gave Aaronson the opportunity to start and excel in the first team as both playmaking number 10 and left-sided box-to-box midfielder. At the end of his rookie season, Aaronson finished second for 2019 MLS Rookie of the year, with three goals and two assists in over 1,640 minutes played. Aaronson was the youngest player out of the five finalists. The 2020 season became a breakout year for Aaronson who finished the season with 31 appearances across all competitions and scoring 4 goals. Aaronson's performance during the season earned him several accolades include being named to the 2020

MLS Best XI The MLS Best XI is an annual acknowledgment of the best eleven players in Major League Soccer. The selection is determined by a collection of media, players, and MLS club technical staffs. Winners Appearances by player The following players ...

for the regular season and the

MLS is Back Tournament The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League ...

. The Union finished the season with the best league record earning the team's first trophy, the 2020 Supporters' Shield.

Red Bull Salzburg

After persistent rumors, it was announced on October 16, 2020, that Aaronson would join Red Bull Salzburg effective January 2021 after the MLS season ended. While the transfer fee was undisclosed, Philadelphia announced that it would be the highest transfer fee paid for an American homegrown player from MLS. Early news reports indicated the fee is US$6 million up front, with US$3 million in possible incentives. Aaronson made his debut for Salzburg on January 25, as a substitute during a 2–0 victory over Rheindorf Altach. Aaronson scored his first goal for Salzburg on February 10, 2021, scoring the game-winning goal during an eventual 3–1 win over

Austria Wien Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (), known in English as Austria Vienna, and Austria Wien in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian professional association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the most trophies of any Aust ...

. On May 1, he won his first piece of silverware with Salzburg as the club defeated

LASK Linzer Athletik-Sport-Klub, commonly known as LASK (), or Linzer ASK, is an Austrian professional football club based in Upper-Austrian state capital Linz. It is the oldest football club in that region, and plays in the Austrian Football Bundes ...

in the

Austrian Cup The Austrian Cup (), known as UNIQA ÖFB Cup for sponsorship purposes, is an annual football competition held by the Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB. During the 2008–09 season, Austria Wien won the tournament for a record 27th time. Wo ...

final by 3–0. Aaronson scored the second goal of the match, and his fifth in all competitions since his move from Philadelphia in January.

Leeds United

On May 26, 2022,

announced the signing of Aaronson on a five-year contract, beginning on July 1.

Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...

reported the transfer fee to be £24.7 million. He made his senior league debut for Leeds as part of the starting eleven in their season opener on August 6, with a 2–1 home win over

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...

. On August 21, Aaronson scored his first

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

goal after forcing an error from Chelsea goalkeeper

Édouard Mendy Édouard Osoque Mendy (born 1 March 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. Born in France, he plays for the Senegal national team. Starting his career in his native France, Mendy pla ...

in a 3–0 home win over

rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria, a suburb ** Chelsea railway station, Melbourne Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia, a community * Chelsea, Quebec, a municipality United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of Lon ...

, helping Leeds secure their first victory over the Blues for 20 years.

Loan to Union Berlin

On July 9, 2023, following Leeds'

relegation Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...

from the Premier League, Aaronson joined

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...

side

Union Berlin 1. Fußballclub Union Berlin e. V., commonly known as Union Berlin (), is a professional Football in Germany, German football club based in Berlin. The club's origins can be traced to 1906, when its predecessor FC Olympia Oberschöneweide was fo ...

loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...

for the 2023–24 season.

Return to Leeds

Aaronson returned to Elland Road for the 2024–25 season, putting in powerful performances in his five games in August, which featured him scoring twice in two league ties, including the added-time equaliser in the 10 August 3-3 season home opener against Portsmouth. His two goals plus his assists earned him the fans

JD Sports JD Sports Fashion plc, commonly known as JD Sports, JD or JD Group is a British multinational sports-fashion retail company based in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 10 ...

Player of the Month Award for August 2024. Aaronson finished the 2024-25 season with a career-high nine goals, adding two assists. On April 21, 2025, Aaronson was promoted back to the

with Leeds following a 6-0 win over

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the cl ...

Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...

and

Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...

's 2-1 loss to

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

Turf Moor Turf Moor is an association football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Burnley F.C., Burnley Football Club since 1883. This unbroken service makes Turf Moor the second-longest continuously used ground in Footbal ...

. On May 3, 2025, Aaronson won the EFL Championship title with Leeds following a 2-1 win over

Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. The club has played ...

Home Park Home Park is a football stadium in the area of Milehouse, Plymouth, Devon, England. With a capacity of 17,900, the ground has been the home of Plymouth Argyle Football Club since 1903, and was also used between 1900 and 1903 by Argyle Athlet ...

International career

After showing a strong rookie season, Aaronson received his first senior call-up to the

United States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT), officially recognized as USA by FIFA, represents the United States in men's international Association football, soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which is ...

in October 2019 for

CONCACAF Nations League The CONCACAF Nations League (, ) is an association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its secondary continental tournament for men's senior national teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The tournament takes pla ...

matches with

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. He did not earn a cap in either match. Aaronson earned his second call-up to the senior team for the 2020 January camp. Aaronson earned his full debut in a 1–0 win over

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. Later that year, Aaronson scored his first senior international goal during a 6–0 victory over

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

in December 2020. Aaronson was included in the 26-man squad for the

2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

, playing in all three group games.

Personal life

His younger brother

Paxten Aaronson Paxten Reid Aaronson (born August 26, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for club Utrecht, on loan from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, and the United States national team. Cl ...

is also a professional soccer player and plays for

FC Utrecht Football Club Utrecht () is a Dutch professional association football, football club based in Utrecht. The club competes in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football league system, Dutch football, and plays its home matches at the Stadion ...

, on loan from

Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a German professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German footb ...

. Aaronson's performances for the Philadelphia Union and Red Bull Salzburg earned him the nickname of the "Medford Messi", an

alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of syllable-initial consonant sounds between nearby words, or of syllable-initial vowels if the syllables in question do not start with a consonant. It is often used as a literary device. A common example is " Pe ...

that refers to his birthplace and makes a comparison with Argentine player

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...

. He is a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, as his father is from Sacramento. He became engaged to Milana D'Ambra in August 2024.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''United States score listed first, score column indicates score after each Aaronson goal.''

Honors

Philadelphia Union *Supporters' Shield: 2020 Major League Soccer season, 2020 Red Bull Salzburg *Austrian Football Bundesliga, Austrian Bundesliga: 2020–21 Austrian Football Bundesliga, 2020–21, 2021–22 Austrian Football Bundesliga, 2021–22 *Austrian Cup: 2020–21 Austrian Cup, 2020–21, 2021–22 Austrian Cup, 2021–22 Leeds United *EFL Championship: 2024–25 EFL Championship, 2024–25 United States *

: 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League, 2019–20, 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League, 2022–23, 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League, 2023–24 Individual *

Best XI: MLS is Back Tournament#Awards, 2020 *

: 2020 Major League Soccer season#MLS Best XI, 2020

References

External links

*
Brenden Russell Aaronson , 1. FC Union Berlin , Player Profile , Bundesliga

Brenden Aaronson
at

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aaronson, Brenden 2000 births Living people American men's soccer players Homegrown Players (MLS) Philadelphia Union II players Philadelphia Union players FC Red Bull Salzburg players Leeds United F.C. players 1. FC Union Berlin players Men's association football midfielders Sportspeople from Medford, New Jersey Shawnee High School (New Jersey) alumni Soccer players from Burlington County, New Jersey USL Championship players Major League Soccer players Premier League players Bundesliga players English Football League players United States men's international soccer players 2022 FIFA World Cup players 2024 Copa América players American expatriate men's soccer players Expatriate men's footballers in Austria American expatriate sportspeople in Austria Expatriate men's footballers in England American expatriate sportspeople in England American expatriate men's soccer players in Germany United States men's under-23 international soccer players 21st-century American sportsmen 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup players