ORLANDO, Fla. — In his first season playing professional soccer, Duncan McGuire has taken the MLS by storm.

He leads all rookies in goals scored on the season and has cemented his place in the starting line-up for Orlando City.

What You Need To Know

  • Duncan McGuire is tied for Orlando City's top goal-scorer with 8, most of any rookie in MLS

  • At Creighton, McGuire led NCAA soccer with 23 goals last season 

  • McGuire is from Omaha, Nebraska, and his time so far in Orlando has been the only time living away from home in his life

  • He is one of four siblings, and is especially bonded to his younger brother who has Down Syndrome

Fans of the club have embraced the striker, donning signs and shirts that say ‘Orlando Runs on Duncan.’ Living across the country from home for the first time, Duncan thinks about his younger brother who taught him to appreciate the little things.

It isn’t very common to see a rookie come in and make an immediate impact with their club in MLS the way Duncan McGuire has. The sixth overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft has eight goals for Orlando City on the season so far. While he is confident in his level, he said the success he’s had does surprise him a bit. 

“I thought I’d play a little bit, score a goal or two,” admitted the Orlando City forward. “It’s definitely above what I thought. Now that I’ve done that, I want more.”

From leading Creighton and all of NCAA soccer in goals a year ago with 23, a feat impressive enough to get himself nominated for Best College Male Athlete at the 2023 ESPY Awards, to now leading Orlando City on the stat sheet, McGuire says he has always found success because of the people around him.

“It’s just the group of guys I was with,” said McGuire on his teammates at Creighton. “We all had a common goal we were all really wanting to achieve for three years, so having a common interest with a group of guys that are all very committed is what I found similar to the guys in college and here.”

The people around Duncan who motivate him the most are nearly 1,400 miles away in Omaha, Nebraska — his family.

“I would probably say they’re the most influential in my, in what I do,” said McGuire. “They’ve always been supportive. I’ve always told them I wanna play soccer, and they were like, ‘if that’s what you wanna do, you can go ahead and do it.’ So them being supportive has always kept me going.”

Living in Orlando and playing for Orlando City marks the first time McGuire has ever lived outside of Omaha and away from his family. Even at Creighton, McGuire’s college house was just a 10-minute drive from his childhood home.

“I have to figure out on my own. If I have laundry, I can’t go have mom help do it for me anymore, gotta do that,” McGuire said laughingly. “I’ve learned, do the dishes now. I’ve learned a lot, but it’s definitely a big learning curve. It’s time to go in and try something new. I’m enjoying it, but obviously I miss my family. It’s so hard not seeing your family when you’re so used to seeing them.”

The McGuire family has grown extremely close over the years, coming to support every game of Duncan’s at Creighton. He reflects on the little moments of being able to go home and just hang out with the person that means the most to him.

“My brother and I mess around in the basement at home. We go to the park. He has Down Syndrome, so he’s always home. Every time I go home, we’d always just hang out,” said McGuire.

Holden is the youngest of the McGuire siblings and Duncan and his little brother share a special bond, talking on FaceTime every day, while Holden becomes his number one fan from afar, as long as he is not facing his favorite player.

“He does, he knows he follows, he’s a big fan, he’s learning the names of the teammates. He’s actually a big Messi fan, so hopefully, he said he’s gonna support both of us when we play, so that kinda hit. You can’t even support me when we play!” he said while laughing.

Navigating life on his own away from family for the first time has made Duncan step back and realize what’s most important. 

“It definitely has just, spend as much time with my family as possible. You never know when; not everyone has such a gifted life,” said McGuire.

Duncan’s family has been able to travel to Orlando a few times since he moved, including to watch his goal against Santos Laguna in League Cup play. Seeing Holden on the field at Exploria Stadium with a McGuire jersey on, you could see Duncan’s face light up. But it’s Holden’s smile that shows Duncan the value of life. 

“He always has a smile on his face which teaches me you can’t be mad about the little thing,” said McGuire. “He always puts a smile on my face, so I’m definitely thankful to have him.”