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Rising star Justin Haak’s NYCFC exit becomes official with LA Galaxy deal
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- Rising star Justin Haak’s NYCFC exit becomes official with LA Galaxy deal
Justin Haak controls the ball during NYCFC's Nov. 23 match.
Justin Haak is now an ex-member of New York City FC.
The club officially announced his departure to the LA Galaxy on Monday after weeks of speculation, with Haak himself all but signaling his goodbye with an emotional social media post over the weekend.
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Haak's deal in Los Angeles is a one-year guaranteed contract through the end of the 2026 MLS season, which includes a club option for June 2027, when MLS begins its transition to the new summer-to-spring calendar.
The departure of the homegrown talent comes after New York City FC made a hard push to keep the center back, which included offering him more money than any of the other clubs that had interest in him, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Post.
Justin Haak controls the ball during NYCFC's Nov. 23 match. Getty Images
NYCFC 's new sporting director, Todd Dunivant , who doesn't officially take his post until the new year, was also involved in attempts to keep Haak in the Big Apple.
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Haak heads to Los Angeles after making 111 appearances with the first team across all competitions, and he was a member of the 2021 NYCFC squad that captured the MLS Cup.
The 24-year-old Brooklyn native has developed into a key piece and played a major role in the club's success during the 2025 season, which included scoring the only goal in the Eastern Conference Finals loss to Inter Miami.
"New York City FC thanks Justin for his commitment to the Club and to the New York City community and wishes Justin continued success in the next chapter of his career," the club said in a statement.
Haak joined NYCFC's academy program at the U14 level and signed a professional contract in 2019, rising through the club's development structure and making him a highly coveted talent once the offseason arrived.
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It had been previously reported that Haak drew interest from a number of MLS teams as well as clubs in Europe.
In a post on Saturday, Haak wrote that he was "forever grateful for the opportunities that were given to me as well as the challenges that made me stronger" during his time with New York City FC.
"I can leave this club and city knowing I gave it everything I had every single day," Haak said. "I will always be supporting and rooting for my guys."
NYCFC and Haak won't have to wait long to see one another, with the club slated to open the 2026 MLS regular season against the Galaxy on Feb. 22.
