Josef Martínez leaves Major League Soccer as one of the league’s defining figures after completing his move to Club Tijuana, closing the book on a career that helped shape the league in the late 2010s.
Martínez’s legacy is inseparable from Atlanta United’s rapid rise. Signed in 2017 as the club’s first-ever Designated Player, the Venezuelan striker became the face of an expansion side that immediately turned into a powerhouse.
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Martínez bagged a total of 130 MLS goals, 98 of them coming with Atlanta before spells with Inter Miami, CF Montréal, and San Jose.
His peak came in 2018, a season that stands among the greatest ever by an MLS forward. The legendary forward scored 31 regular-season goals to win the Golden Boot, claimed MLS MVP honors, and led Atlanta United to MLS Cup glory, scoring in the final.
That year also saw Atlanta win the Supporters’ Shield, completing a rare domestic double. Martínez later added the 2018 Campeones Cup and the 2019 U.S. Open Cup to his trophy collection, cementing his place as the face of the young club’s golden era.
He finishes his MLS career with multiple Best XI selections and a reputation as one of the league’s most feared and charismatic strikers.
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As Martínez begins the next chapter of his career in Liga MX with Xolos, his MLS résumé stands untouched by time.
Few players have combined individual brilliance, silverware, and cultural impact the way Josef Martínez did, and his name will forever be synonymous with greatness in MLS.
📸 Kevin C. Cox – 2019 Getty Images
