Max Arfsten hits stride with Columbus Crew & USMNT | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

It’s 10 pm, and Max Arfsten isn’t at the Columbus Crew training ground.

Things used to be different. Arfsten used to scrap and claw for any minutes he could get. When they didn’t come, he’d show up at the training ground, late at night, just to get some extra work in.

In his debut 2023 season with the Crew, his first as an MLS player, he played just 272 minutes. And he spent a lot of time at the training ground. 

“I'm not anymore, because I feel like I have to take care of my body more and be a lot more cognizant of training extra,” Arfsten told MLSsoccer.com ahead of this weekend's Walmart Saturday Showdown visit from Chicago Fire FC (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV). 

“But back then, one thousand percent. Those are my favorite things ever. I learned a lot about myself in those moments. There's something about being in the facility by yourself, and no one's there. And maybe no one even knows you're there.”

Rising MLS, USMNT star

While no one watched, Arfsten got better. Now, he’s got fans in MLS and beyond keeping a close eye on his every move. 

By 2024, Arfsten became a regular contributor for Wilfried Nancy’s Columbus side, piling up 12 goal contributions over 23 regular-season starts while helping his club win the Leagues Cup title and reach that year's Concacaf Champions Cup final.

By the end of 2025, he had cemented himself as a critical player for both the Crew and the US men's national team.

The 24-year-old left wingback made 12 starts for the national team last year across the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup and multiple friendlies. In the process, he earned the trust of USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino. 

Suddenly, the late-night training sessions weren’t so necessary.

“I just kind of had to grow up a little bit,” Arfsten said. “Like, my whole life before that, I was used to just playing and being one of the best guys on the team. At a lower level, I just was always starting and playing. And then I got to a team where I wasn't the best guy at that time – not even close. And I don't know, it was kind of like a reality check for me.

"So I think I just learned that it doesn't matter what happened before. It doesn't matter where you come from. It doesn't matter what you accomplished at your last club. You have to prove it here now.”

World Cup in sight

Arfsten has proven plenty so far, but he still has work to do. Even with all of those starts last year, he knows a spot on the USMNT's 26-man roster for this summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup isn’t a given.

The next few months – including this month’s friendlies against Belgium and Portugal at Atlanta United's Mercedes-Benz Stadium – could be critical. That means Arfsten has to keep his form for club and country while navigating major changes at home.

At the end of the 2025 season, Nancy’s tenure as head coach of the Crew came to a close. Nancy gave Arfsten his first MLS minutes and increasingly trusted him to be a weapon in attack as wingback.

With Nancy gone, Arfsten is pushing for a World Cup spot in a new system. Fortunately for him (and for the Crew), new head coach Henrik Rydström sees the game and Arfsten’s role through a similar lens.

“One thing I'm thankful for is [Rydström] still gives me – similar to Wilfried – a very green light to attack and go forward and to take my guy one-v-one and get in crosses,” Arfsten said. “So that part of my game is definitely still there. I think, tactically, defensively, there are a few things that he wants done a bit differently.

"But every coach has their own way of doing things, and obviously he's my coach, so I'm going to be open-minded and do what he tells me to do.”

Keep on growing

In the meantime, Arfsten has found other ways to get better without driving in the dark to get extra reps. Instead, he’s reading. Autobiographies mostly. Trying to learn what he can from others who have found success. Even if that success is in a field far from his own. 

For example, he just picked up a copy of “Greenlights," a book written by Hollywood star and Austin FC co-owner Matthew McConaughey.  

Who knows if the secret to a starting spot in the World Cup this summer or even just beating Chicago this weekend is in McConaughey’s mind. But it’s worth a shot.

Regardless of what happens going forward, Arfsten is doing his best to carry lessons from nighttime training sessions and anytime readings. 

“It's so easy in life to, if a game goes bad, you can just blame the refs, blame someone else, blame your coach. But whether you truly believe it or not, just look in the mirror and take the responsibility. Look inward," Arfsten said.

"You know, I think that's the main thing. Always try to look inward and ask: ‘What can you do to be better in that particular moment or that particular training session or game?’”