LAFC has transferred midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to Cruz Azul of Mexico’s Liga MX.
“Decisions like this one are never easy, but after evaluating all possibilities and engaging with Mati, we have accepted this sizable offer from Cruz Azul,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. “Mati arrived two seasons ago as a player of incredible potential, and it has been a pleasure being a part of his development into a star in our league and a full national team player for Poland. While Mati will be difficult to replace, the transfer provides significant resources that will help us in our continued goal of building a roster that will win trophies.”
Bogusz, 23, joined LAFC in March of 2023 from then Premier League club Leeds United. The Polish playmaker enjoyed a breakout year in 2024, scoring a career-high 20 goals in all competitions and becoming just the fifth player in LAFC history to score 15 or more goals in a single season, joining Cristian Arango, Denis Bouanga, Diego Rossi, and Carlos Vela.
Bogusz departs LAFC after appearing in 60 regular season matches (51 starts) from 2023-24, scoring 18 goals and registering 11 assists in 4,373 minutes. He and Bouanga formed one of the most potent duos in MLS in 2024, combining for 35 regular season goals, the second-highest total behind Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
One of only six players in LAFC history to record three or more multi-goal games, his goal just 32 seconds into LAFC’s win over Vancouver on Oct. 13, 2024, was the second-fastest goal in club history.
A native of Ruda Śląska, Poland, Bogusz received his first call-up to the Polish senior National Team in September 2024, making two appearances. He has also represented his country at the youth international level, including as a member of the Polish U-20 team at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Bogusz began his career in the youth system of Polish club Ruch Chorzow before making his professional debut in the top Polish league in 2018 at the age of 16. He moved to Leeds United in January 2019 and helped the Whites Under-23 squad win the PDL Northern League and the national Professional Development League in his first season with the Yorkshire club.
He made his first-team debut for Leeds on Aug. 27, 2019, in an EFL Cup match, but was loaned to Spanish Segunda Division club Logrones in 2020-21 where he scored one goal and registered one assist in 23 matches before joining UD Ibiza on loan for the 2021-2022 season. Over the past two seasons with Ibiza, Bogusz appeared in 42 matches for the Spanish Segunda Division club, scoring a total of six goals and five assists in over 2,500 minutes played.
