Houston Dynamo FC Sign Former USL Championship Player of the Year Nicholas Markanich on Loan
MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Houston Dynamo FC Sign Former USL Championship Player of the Year Nicholas Markanich on Loan

Published on January 20, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


HOUSTON - Houston Dynamo FC signed American forward Nicholas Markanich on loan from Club Deportivo Castellón in Spain through the 2026 season both clubs announced today.

"We are excited to welcome Nick and his wife to Houston ahead of the 2026 season," said President of Soccer Pat Onstad. "Nick is a natural goal scorer with sharp instincts in the box, intelligent movement and clinical finishing ability, highlighted by his 30-goal season in the USL Championship in 2024. He is a good fit in our system and adds another dangerous option to our attack as we build a more competitive team this offseason."

Markanich joins the Dynamo after making 110 first team appearances in all competitions across his career in Spain and the United States, featuring for Segunda División side CD Castellón (2025-26), USL Championship side Charleston Battery (2023-24) and FC Cincinnati (2022). The 26-year-old recorded 45 goals and 10 assists with the three teams, including a breakout 2024 season with Charleston in which he scored a league-record 28 regular season goals and was crowned the 2024 Championship Player of the Year, named All-League First Team and won the Golden Boot. That campaign established him as one of the top goalscorers in America across all domestic leagues before his move to Spain in January 2025.

Markanich joined CD Castellón at the beginning of 2025 and went on to score two goals in 24 matches, including a late equalizer versus Albacete Balompie on April 4. He also started and play the full 90 minutes of the team's first 2025-26 Copa del Rey match against Club Atlético Antoniano.

During his two-year stint with Charleston, Markanich totaled 74 appearances and 10 assists, helping the team win the 2023 Eastern Conference title to reach the USL Championship final, while his 30 all-competition goals in 2024 surpassed Paul Conway's previous club record of 27 goals scored in 2001. The forward recorded six multi-goal games in 2024, including a four-goal haul versus Las Vegas on April 27 and a hat trick versus Orange County on August 24. Additionally, 10 of Markanich's 30 season goals were match-winners.

The Bourbonnais, Illinois native was drafted 30th overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by Cincinnati and was later signed by the club. Markanich featured in 11 matches for The Orange and Blue and also played with FC Cincinnati 2, recording four goals and two assists in 15 MLS NEXT Pro matches.

Before kicking off his professional career, Markanich had a standout career at Northern Illinois University, recording 39 goals and nine assists in 69 appearances for the Huskies. He led the NCAA in scoring in 2021 with 16 goals, and earned multiple individual honors, including Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year in 2018, MAC Player of the Year in both 2020 and 2021 and first-team All-MAC honors in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

TRANSACTION: Houston Dynamo FC signed forward Nicholas Markanich on loan from Club Deportivo Castellón in Spain through the end of the 2026 season.

NICHOLAS MARKANICH BIO:

NAME: Nicholas Markanich

POSITION: Forward

DATE OF BIRTH: December 26, 1999 (26)

BIRTHPLACE: Bourbonnais, Illinois

HEIGHT: 6 ft. 1 in.

WEIGHT: 170 lbs.

PREVIOUS CLUB: Club Deportivo Castellón (Segunda División)

FIFA NATIONALITY: USA

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Major League Soccer Stories from January 20, 2026


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