Chris Klein

Amateur

Klein attended De Smet Jesuit High School, winning a Missouri state championship in the fall of 1993. He played three years of college soccer at Indiana University from 1994 to 1997. In total, he started 88 games for the Hoosiers, registering 11 goals and 11 assists as a senior.

Professional

Upon his graduation, Klein was selected fourth overall by the Kansas City Wizards in the 1998 MLS College Draft. He received little playing time as a rookie, starting eight games and substituting into nine, and scored no points. Starting in 1999, however, Klein began to cement a place for himself as one of the league's best midfielders; in the 1999 season, Klein started 24 games for the Wizards, registering six goals and five assists. He started 26 games in 2000, scoring six goals and eight assists, helping the Wizards to an MLS Cup victory. Klein has been an equally important part of the Wizards midfield for the last four years, although his 2004 campaign was cut short by a torn ACL. He came back in 2005 and was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year for the second time in his career, his first coming in 2002. However, before the 2006 season, Klein was traded with an international roster spot to Real Salt Lake for allocation money. On June 21, 2007, Klein was traded to Los Angeles Galaxy for midfielder Nathan Sturgis and forward Robbie Findley.

International

Klein was a fringe player for the United States national team for several years. He received…

Klein was the club president of the LA Galaxy for 11 seasons, during which the team missed the playoffs four times. A fan protest in 2023 led to his firing. He was also sanctioned by MLS for a violation of roster rules during the 2019 season. He also served as an assistant coach for Newport Mesa Soccer Club, which is part of the West Ham International Academy.

Klein is married with three children. He and his wife are evangelical Christians, and Klein is active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Klein resides in suburban Los Angeles with his family.