By William Armstead –
HARRISON, N.J. (January 29, 2026) – Red Bull New York has acquired International Ethan Horvath from Cardiff City as part of a free transfer. The deal Horvath signed is one-and-a-half-years through June of 2027 with options for 2027-2028 and 2028-2029.
New York has also sent Charlotte FC, $75,000 for both 2026 and 2027 in General Allocation Money. They also sent Charlotte the highest of their second round draft picks in the 2027 MLS SuperDraft for the discovery rights of Horvath.
Head of Sport Julian de Guzman speaks to Horvath’s value. “Ethan brings a tremendous amount of experience and professionalism to our group,” he said. “He has competed at the highest levels, and his leadership will be invaluable for our locker room and our goalkeeping unit as a whole.”
Horvath, 30, has been with Cardiff City for two years. In that time, he made 36 appearances for the club and recorded eight clean sheets. He went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday for the 2025 season, where he made 16 appearances and recorded two clean sheets. Horvath saved two penalties for Wednesday to help his team advance in the EFL Cup against Leeds United.
Horvath joined Nottingham Forest in 2021, making 11 appearances and recording four shutouts, but went on loan to Luton Town for the 2022-23 season. While with Luton, Horvath made 51 appearances, recorded 20 shutouts, and helped the club get moved up into the Premier League.
Back in the beginning of 2017, Horvath signed with Club Brugge of the Jupilier Pro League. He made 64 appearances there and posted 21 clean sheets. He helped Brugge secure their spot in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round in his first season with the club. In 2018, he helped the club finish as champions and qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage by posting consecutive clean sheets against AS Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, and Atletico Madrid. In his time with Brugge, Horvath won three Jupilier Pro League titles and one Beglian Super Cup in 2018-19.
Head Coach Michael Bradley believes Horvath is a great addition to the club.“Ethan has been a proven winner for both club and country, and we are really excited to add him to our roster ahead of the 2026 season,” he said. ”He has shown throughout his career that he can perform in big moments. He is a strong shot-stopper, commands his area well, and fits the way we want to play.”
Back in 2013, Horvath signed his first professional contract with Modle FK, and he would make his professional debut on May 16, 2015. In 2015-16, he helped Modle qualify for the UEFA Europa League Group stage first place by recording 10 saves, where he was the fifth American goalkeeper to play in the UEFA Europa League.
Ethan Horvath has appeared 10 times with the United States men’s national soccer team, producing three shutouts since his debut in 2016, defeating Cuba 2–0. He is a two-time CONCACAF Nations League champion and was named Man of the Match in the 2020 final after saving a late extra-time penalty. Horvath was also part of the U.S. roster at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.