Kei Kamara will suit up for FC Cincinnati. The 40-year-old Sierra Leone international forward was officially announced by the club when he signed a deal through December of 2025 with an option for 2026. He'll take up space on the reserve roster and play in MLS with his 12th different team, a historic first for the league.
The signing comes at a good time for FC Cincinnati, which leads the Eastern Conference after 12 rounds. The team has 25 points on its tally, having secured eight wins, one draw, and three losses. Kamara joins a team that has such players as Kévin Denkey, Sergio Santos, Evander, and Luca Orellano.
MLS legend in new jersey
Kamara arrives as a free agent after playing for LAFC last season. He played 40 games and directly contributed to 13 goals, eight scored and five assists. He was part of the campaign that saw the club win the U.S. Open Cup championship title.
The player is the second-leading goal-scorer in MLS regular-season history with 147 goals. And the fourth-most used player in league history, too, with 445 appearances in the format. Those figures underpin a career that has lasted nearly two decades of U.S. soccer.
FC Cincinnati general manager Chris Albright emphasized the importance of the signing: “We’re excited to add a player with Kei’s quality, experience, and leadership to FC Cincinnati.” He also mentioned that Kamara’s skill set adds a different dynamic to the team’s attack. The statement highlights the value of the addition in different ways, without needing to overstate what the numbers already show.
Kamara turned the page in MLS
Kamara began his professional career in 2006 when Columbus Crew selected him in the first round of the SuperDraft with the ninth overall pick. Since then, he has played for Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Minnesota United, CF Montréal, New England Revolution, San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City, Vancouver Whitecaps, and LAFC. Today, for Cincinnati, he achieves the milestone of 12 unique MLS teams.
Swinging between so many clubs, as opposed to an indication of volatility, is indicative of how Kamara has throughout been seen as a good player with versatility and respected professional track record. It is rare for an outfielder to reach the age of 40 with so much trust from rival clubs.
Other than being on the field, Kamara also has a solid record as a locker room leader. Albright's comment regarding leadership supports this, as does Kamara's captaincy of the Sierra Leone national team during matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He led his national team on the field in March, showing he still holds a leadership role on and off the pitch.
There is also foreign experience. Kamara played in England with Middlesbrough and Norwich City, and for HIFK in Finland. But it's in the USA that his career has had the greatest impact. He's watched the league grow, mature, get better to a new level, and become a global spectacle. And in the process, he's lived it all, creating a story that's now symbiotically linked with MLS itself.