Max Arfsten

San Jose Earthquakes II

In 2022, he signed his first contract with MLS Next Pro side San Jose Earthquakes II ahead of their inaugural season. In his lone season with the Quakes reserve team, Arfsten scored nine goals in 24 appearances.

Columbus Crew

2023

In December 2022, Arfsten was announced as eligible for selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He was selected 14th overall by the Columbus Crew on December 21, 2022. He signed a two-year deal with the Major League Soccer side on February 21, 2023. Arfsten made his debut and scored his first goal for Columbus on March 25, 2023, in a 6–1 victory over Atlanta United after coming on as a late substitute. He made his first start on June 3, replacing Mohamed Farsi in the starting lineup after the wing-back was injured during warmups. Playing on the right side, Arfsten scored and assisted in the 4–2 win against Charlotte FC. During the 2023 playoffs, he scored in the only match he appeared in as his side would go on to win the MLS Cup.

2024

During the 2024 season, Arfsten entrenched himself as the starting left wing-back in a 3–5–2 formation. He made his CONCACAF Champions Cup debut off the bench on March 6, 2024, in a 1–0 win for the Crew against the Houston Dynamo in the round-of-16. On April 9, Arfsten took the final penalty in the shootout win versus Tigres UANL at Estadio Universitario to send Columbus to the semifinals of the Champions Cup. He scored in back-to-back league games on…

On January 6, 2025, Arfsten was called up to the United States national team by head coach Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the January camp in Florida, with friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica. Arfsten made his debut on January 18, 2025, versus Venezuela. Arfsten netted his first career international goal in the semifinals of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup against Panama. He played significant minutes in the tournament, starting in all but one game for the U.S., as they finished runner-up in the competition to Mexico. On May 26, 2026, Arfsten was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A two-footed player, Arfsten has been noted for his bravery, technical ability, and penchant for taking players on via the dribble. He has described himself as a player that "like[s] to dribble a lot and be shifty as much as I can, just to create chances, so I think my aggressiveness in my attack sets me apart."

Arfsten is of Armenian descent; his family comes from an Armenian community in Fresno, California. Arfsten has stated that his soccer inspiration is Neymar.