The Los Angeles Football club on Saturday confirmed the transfer of Polish midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to Liga MX club Cruz Azul.
Bogusz, 23, joined LAFC in the spring of 2023 as an underperforming player from Spain’s second division, where he was loaned by Premier League club Leeds United in 2020.
With LAFC, Bogusz flourished.
His ascension prompted suitors to inquire about the native of Ruda Śląska, Poland, whose athleticism, agility, quality on the ball and finishing ability ultimately netted a record transfer fee north of $10 million for LAFC, according to reporter Tom Bogert, making his stint in L.A. a successful bit of business for the Black & Gold, which paid $1 million to bring Bogusz, known as ‘Mati,’ over from Europe.
“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 and general manager John Thorrington said in a statement Saturday. “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.”
In 2024, Bogusz registered 20 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. All told, Bogusz, who received his first call-up to the Polish senior national team in September, appeared in 60 regular-season Major League Soccer matches, starting 51 across the midfield and attack.
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The versatile Bogusz combined with French Designated Player Denis Bouanga to score 35 goals in regular-season league play, the second most for a duo behind Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Late in the 2024 season, Bogusz bagged the second-fastest goal in club history, scoring the opener in 32 seconds at Vancouver. He is one of six players in LAFC history to record three or more multi-goal games. Bogusz is also one of five LAFC players to score 15 or more goals in a single season, joining Bouanga, Cristian Arango, Diego Rossi and Carlos Vela.