The Union waived defender Olivier Mbaizo on Wednesday morning, marking the club’s first publicly announced roster move since it fired former manager Bradley Carnell and removed the interim tag from sporting director Jon Scheer in May.
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Mbaizo, 28, spent nine seasons with the Union but made just one appearance in the first 15 games of the 2026 MLS season. Mbaizo was signed to the team through the end of this season and was set to be paid $502,875 in guaranteed compensation, according to the MLS Players Association’s salary guide.
The club has waived Olivier Mbaizo.
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 17, 2026
Thank you for your dedication and contributions to the club, Mbaizo! pic.twitter.com/noKAYsxAH4
The defender was part of Cameroon’s national team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but Mbaizo did not make it onto the pitch before Cameroon exited the tournament in the group stage.
He signed with the Union from Cameroonian side Rainbow FC Bamenda in 2018. He split time between the Union and Bethlehem Steel, the Union’s former developmental team, before becoming a part of the Union’s main rotation in 2020.
Mbaizo made 122 MLS appearances with the Union, including 96 starts. His role with the team peaked in 2021, when he appeared in 30 league matches, made 28 starts, and logged more than 2,400 minutes on the pitch.
“We want to thank Olivier for his time spent with the club,” Scheer said in the team’s release. “We are grateful for his dedication, professionalism, and impact on the organization and wish him all the best going forward.”
Mbaizo’s role with the team dwindled when Carnell took over for Jim Curtin as manager in 2025. Mbaizo appeared in nine matches in the Union’s run to the Supporters’ Shield in 2025 and appeared twice for the Union in the first half of 2026.
He made a start at right back in the team’s 7-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago’s Defence Force FC in the opening round of the Concacaf Champions Cup and entered as a substitute in the Union’s 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution.
As Union brass hinted after Carnell’s dismissal in May, more roster moves are likely for the team, which sits at the bottom of MLS after winning one game in its first 15 league matches.
The league currently is on a break for the FIFA World Cup but will resume on July 16. The Union’s first match after the break will be against the New York Red Bulls on July 22 at Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
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