LA Galaxy Ruthlessly Cut Decorated MLS Forward Ahead of Opener

The Galaxy kick off the 2026 MLS season against New York City FC on Sunday.

Christian Ramírez didn't live up to expectations with the LA Galaxy. | Orlando Ramirez/Leagues Cup/MLS/Getty Images

Returning to MLS action after one of the worst seasons in club history, the LA Galaxy made a surprise roster move Saturday, waiving decorated forward Christian Ramírez just over 24 hours before opening the 2026 campaign against New York City FC on Sunday. 

The 34-year-old MLS veteran signed with the Galaxy ahead of the 2025 season and went on to record four goals and an assist in 25 regular-season appearances. The club struggled to keep pace in the Western Conference, eventually finishing 14th with just 30 points through 34 regular-season contests. 

While the move, made just ahead of the MLS Roster Compliance deadline, came with the club needing to clear a roster spot and open up salary cap space, it also elicited a level of shock. Ramírez started and played 58 minutes in the Galaxy’s 1–1 draw against Honduras-based club, San Miguelito to open Concacaf Champions Cup action midweek and was a key part of preseason matches.

A native of Los Angeles, Ramírez’s arrival was a highly touted move ahead of the 2025 season, as he brought a resumé featuring MLS Cup, Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield titles after standout spells with Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, LAFC and the Houston Dynamo.

Having previously scored 51 goals in 160 MLS regular-season appearances, the hope was that the experienced attacking option could cushion the injury absence of star attacking midfielder Riqui Puig. 

Instead, Ramírez struggled to produce as the Galaxy failed to create many scoring chances, and the void left by Puig in midfield became a defining factor. The Spaniard’s ACL recovery, initially expected to bring him back into the fold in the final weeks of the 2025 season, dragged on and will extend through the 2026 campaign. 

Overall, the Galaxy netted just 46 goals in 2025, one of the lowest attacking totals in the history of the six-time MLS Cup champions. Ramírez earned Galaxy Player of the Month honors shortly after his March 2025 debut, having scored in four consecutive matches before cooling off for the rest of the season. 

---

What’s Next for Ramírez and the Galaxy?

Christian Ramírez (bottom right) started in Concacaf Champions Cup action before the LA Galaxy waived him Saturday. | LA Galaxy

Having recently trained through an entire MLS preseason and with a competitive match under his belt, Ramírez will likely land at a new MLS club within days after leaving the Galaxy. 

A move to Minnesota United could potentially be in the cards, given manager Cameron Knowles’s search for a secondary attacking option behind starting striker Kelvin Yeboah. The Loons are in search of defining success after inking Colombian superstar James Rodríguez to a short-term deal through June, with an option to extend through the end of 2026. 

For the Galaxy, scoring reliance will rest on the three Designated Players. Gabriel Pec aims to improve on his 2025 totals of six goals and nine assists, while Joseph Paintsil targets similar steps forward. Meanwhile, Brazilian attacker João Klauss, recently acquired from St. Louis CITY SC, hopes to find his scoring touch more often than Ramírez did during his tenure. 

After the season opener against NYCFC, the Galaxy look ahead to the second leg against San Miguelito on Wednesday, before returning to MLS action on Feb. 28 against Wilfried Zaha and Pep Biel’s Charlotte FC.

---