Matt Sheldon Retires, Spent Two Seasons in Detroit City
USL Detroit City FC

Matt Sheldon Retires, Spent Two Seasons in Detroit City

Published on November 25, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Detroit City FC News Release


Detroit City Football Club defender Matt Sheldon
Detroit City Football Club defender Matt Sheldon
(Detroit City FC)

DETROIT - On Monday, Detroit City Football Club announced that defender Matt Sheldon (Legacy #210) has retired from professional football. Sheldon's lengthy tenure in the USL Championship brought a level of experience into the DCFC clubhouse that players, coaches, and fans greatly appreciated.

The native of Bellevue, Washington, ends his Detroit City career with 54 total appearances, placing him 20th all-time in club history. In addition, Sheldon adds four goals and four assists to his name. Sheldon ends his career with over 250 appearances across the USL across eleven seasons of competition.

Over the past two seasons in the Detroit City clubhouse, Sheldon became a mainstay on the backline. Sheldon played in 21 of Le Rouge's fixtures in 2025, none more impressive than the Jäegermeister Cup match at Hartford Athletic in June. His two goals, including the game-tying goal in the 90th minute that would see the game head to penalties, and DCFC picking up the extra point. The three goals this past season would be the most in a single professional season for Sheldon. Sheldon's first season in Detroit came in 2024, when he featured in 33 matches, becoming one of the main go-to players for first-year manager Danny Dichio.

Before joining Detroit City, Sheldon played for Eastern Conference side Hartford Athletic. In 2023, he appeared in 29 matches for Hartford, ranking third in interceptions, second in duels won, and recorded one goal and one assist for the Connecticut-based club. In 2022, Sheldon played for Charleston Battery, where he started 27 matches. Over 2,322 minutes, he tallied 32 interceptions and won 37 tackles.

Sheldon joined FC Tulsa ahead of the 2019 season, marking his longest stay with a single club- three years. During his time at Tulsa, he made a notable contribution to their defense, starting 65 matches and playing 5,491 minutes from 2019 to 2021.

Sheldon played college soccer at UC Davis, making 61 appearances for the Big West Conference side. After college, Sheldon spent a year with San Jose Earthquakes U23 before joining Ventura County Fusion in 2015. In 2016, he played in Germany with SG Kinzenbach before returning to the U.S. to play for Orange County Blues in the USL. After a year with Orange County, Sheldon moved to Saint Louis FC.

For more information about Detroit City FC, visit detcityfc.com and follow @DetroitCityFC on X, Facebook, and @detroitcityfootballclub on Instagram.

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Detroit City Football Club defender Matt Sheldon
Detroit City Football Club defender Matt Sheldon
   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from November 25, 2025


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