Kyle Bekker is hanging up his cleats.
The 36-year-old Forge FC captain announced his retirement on Thursday. He had been with the Hamilton, Ont.-based club since its inception in 2018. Bekker incurred a season-ending injury on Sept. 15.
“Hamilton became home, and being trusted to captain Forge from day one is something I have never taken for granted,” Bekker said in a statement. “I’ve known for some time that this would be my final season, and I can close this chapter proud of what we built and the standards we established, knowing that we’ve left the shirt in a better place for the next generation.”
A native of Oakville, Ont., Bekker is considered to be one of the greatest players in league history. In 239 games across all competition, Bekker registered 27 goals and 32 assists. He was a five-time CPL Player of the Year runner-up, but did claim the award in 2020.
A product of Boston College, Bekker helped lead Forge to league championships in 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2023, as well as CPL Shields in 2025 and 2025 as the regular season’s top team.
“Kyle has been the heart and soul of Forge FC since the very beginning, living and leading us through so many of our biggest moments,” Forge manager Bobby Smyrniotis said. “But his impact goes beyond Forge — he’s been a standard-bearer for what it means to be a successful player in this league and in this country. Very few have accomplished what he has, and it has been an honour to watch him earn his many achievements.”
After a testicular cancer diagnosis earlier this year, Bekker would return to action and make 22 appearances in 2026.
Prior to joining Forge, Bekker made 58 Major League Soccer appearances across four seasons with Toronto FC, FC Dallas and the Montreal Impact. He scored twice.
Internationally, Bekker was capped 18 times by Canada from 2013 to 2017.
Forge plans to honour Bekker ahead of its final home game of the season on Oct. 12 against Inter Toronto.
