SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento Republic FC announced on Friday the club had signed midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye ahead of the 2026 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval and per club policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Kaye joins the Indomitable Club after a lone season with San Jose Earthquakes. A former Canadian international and MLS All-Star, the 31-year-old was acquired by the Bay Area club ahead of the 2025 campaign in a trade with New England Revolution including two other players for $500,000 in general allocation money. Last year, he featured in 30 of 37 matches for San Jose – and started one-third of the matches where he was part of the team sheet.
“When a player with Mark-Anthony’s experience and quality decides that this is where he wants to be, it validates everything we’re building,” said Republic FC Head Coach Neill Collins. “He’s a proven winner, a leader in the locker room, and a competitor who sets the tone every time he steps on the pitch. He elevates those around him and is going to make our entire squad strong as we begin our pursuit of Championship silverware.
“Our ownership has made it clear that the expectation here is to compete for trophies every season. Their willingness to invest in top talent reflects that ambition, and this signing is another example of that commitment in action.”
“It’s clear that this club has its sights set on reaching a new level and I’m excited to be a part of that,” said Kaye. “I want to use my experience and my talent to help the team win, but at the end of the year we want to be able to count the number of trophies we’ve put in the cabinet. The USL is a competitive league, and I’m here to win.”
Kaye has established himself as one of the most-consistent two-way midfielders in American soccer. After spending the early years of his career in the USL Championship, winning the league title with Louisville City in 2017, Kaye was acquired via transfer by Los Angeles FC ahead of its inaugural season in Major League Soccer in 2018. As a member of the Black & Gold, Kaye emerged as a starter and in 2019 was a central figure in a historic campaign that saw LAFC capture the Supporters’ Shield with a then-league record 72 points. In 31 league appearances, he scored four goals and added eight assists to earn a selection to the MLS All-Star Team.
The Toronto native continued to be a regular contributor in 2020 as LAFC advanced to the Concacaf Champions League Final. Across four seasons in Los Angeles, he made 89 appearances with nine goals and 17 assists across all competitions, including three consecutive playoff appearances.
Kaye continued his career in MLS with stints at the Colorado Rapids, Toronto FC, and New England Revolution, where he continued to serve as a leader and consistent contributor. Across his MLS career, Kaye has made 201 appearances in league and postseason play with 16 goals and 26 assists, as well as a stellar 85% passing accuracy rate.
On the international stage, Kaye earned his position in a rising Canadian side. Since his debut in 2017, Canada has climbed the FIFA rankings from 93 up to 26th in the world. During that time, he logged 40 senior caps – including five goal contributions during qualification to help Canada earn its second World Cup berth in 2022.
In addition to World Cup play, Kaye has represented Canada in the Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Nations League, and various international friendlies.