Chris Wingert

Chris Wingert was born on June 16, 1982, in Babylon, New York. He pursued his collegiate soccer career at St. John’s University, where he achieved significant recognition, including winning the 2003 MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top player in college soccer nationally. During his time at St. John’s, Wingert also played with the Brooklyn Knights in the USL Premier Development League. His college performance led St. John’s to appearances in the NCAA College Cup in 2001 and 2003, with the team finishing as runner-up in 2003.

Wingert began his professional career in Major League Soccer (MLS) when he was drafted by the Columbus Crew in the second round of the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. He spent two years with the Crew, playing as both a defender and a defensive midfielder. In 2006, he was traded to the Colorado Rapids before moving to Real Salt Lake in 2007. Wingert became a starting defender for Real Salt Lake, contributing to their 2009 MLS Cup Championship and two conference championships in 2009 and 2013. He made one international appearance for the US senior national team in 2009.

After eight years with Real Salt Lake, Wingert was selected by expansion club New York City FC in the 2014 MLS Expansion Draft, where he played for one season. He returned to Real Salt Lake in 2016 for two more seasons before retiring as a professional soccer player in February 2018. Following his playing career, Wingert has become involved in the soccer industry off the field, including expanding Roc Nation’s soccer services in the US.