Jefferson Diaz

Jefferson Díaz joined the club during the 2024 secondary transfer window in July, signing a three-year deal with a club option for 2028, and will occupy an international roster spot.

The 23-year-old center back joins Minnesota United from Deportivo Cali of Colombia’s top division, where he made 50 game appearances across all competitions, scored five goals, and provided three assists since joining the club in 2023.

The native Colombian has played in over 100 professional games since making his professional debut in 2017 with his youth club, Real Cartagena of Colombia’s second division. Initially, Díaz played striker during his time with Real Cartagena but found himself back on the defensive side in the 2021 campaign, where he transitioned back to a defensive role.

Diaz made his MLS and MNUFC debut in front of home fans on August 24th, starting the match as a center defender and playing the full 90 minutes. Since joining the squad, the native Colombian proved himself in the Loons back line, starting and playing in nine matches. He continued to play his role as a center defender in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, making his debut in Game 1 against Real Salt Lake. He made a total of three game appearances (three starts) while recording his first MLS assist during the same playoff run.