San Jose Earthquakes defender Nick Lima has retired from professional soccer. The 31-year-old competed in MLS for the past nine seasons with San Jose, Austin FC, and the New England Revolution.

What happened?

Lima began his career as a homegrown player for San Jose, playing 100 games before his stints with Austin and New England. He returned to San Jose in 2025, making 11 MLS appearances.

Why it matters for San Jose Earthquakes

“I am grateful for the opportunity to play professional soccer and go out on my terms,” said Lima. “First, I want to thank all my teammates, coaches, staff, fans, community and everyone who supported me along the way to get to this point.”

What comes next?

The Earthquakes are currently in 2nd place in Major League Soccer, with 18 points from 7 games, and a recent form of WWWLW. Their next fixture is against Minnesota United FC at home on 2026-08-23. | Stat | Value | | --- | --- | | League standing | 2nd in Major League Soccer | | Points | 18 pts | | Recent form | WWWLW | | Next fixture | vs Minnesota United FC (at home, 2026-08-23) | Lima earned nine caps with the United States on the international senior level. “Nick enjoyed a very good career in MLS and has been an outstanding player and professional with the Earthquakes,” said Earthquakes sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena.