Cyle Christopher Larin (; born April 17, 1995) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for club Southampton and the Canada national team.
After playing college soccer for the UConn Huskies, Larin was the first pick of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, joining Orlando City. In his first MLS season, he broke the record for most goals by a rookie, scoring 17 in 27 games and earning the MLS Rookie of the Year Award. He totaled 89 games and 44 goals for Orlando before moving to Beşiktaş for an undisclosed fee in January 2018. He won the Süper Lig, Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup in 2021. He continued playing in Europe with Zulte Waregem and Club Brugge of the Belgian Pro League, Real Valladolid and Mallorca in La Liga, Feyenoord in Eredivisie and Southampton in the EFL Championship.
A full international for Canada since 2014, Larin has represented the nation at two FIFA World Cups (2022 and 2026) and five CONCACAF Gold Cups (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2025). He was the top scorer with 13 goals in the CONCACAF section of 2022 World Cup qualification, as Canada qualified for the first time since 1986.
Early life Larin was born in Brampton, Ontario in Canada to a Jamaican family and attended St. Edmund Campion Secondary School, where he was the school's top goal scorer for the final three years that he attended. In 2007, at the age of 11, Larin joined the private soccer academy Sigma of the Ontario Soccer League before graduating in 2013.
During his time at Sigma, Larin travelled to Europe for training periods with Werder Bremen, Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg in Germany, as well as Racing Genk and Club Brugge in Belgium twice. About the striker, then-Sigma Technical Director Bobby Smyrniotis said: "Cyle is a rare player to find in Canada...a complete and modern striker able to play with both feet, finish from all areas, dominate his region of the park and provide for his teammates."
College career In 2013, Larin committed to the University of Connecticut. During his first year with the Huskies, Larin scored 14 goals in 23 appearances, the 6th highest goal total in the entire NCAA for the season. His performance during his freshman year earned him multiple honours including Freshman of the Year by TopDrawerSoccer.com and being named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team.
In January 2014, Larin was touted as one of the best players available in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. However, he did not sign a Generation Adidas deal with Major League Soccer before the draft and was named the No. 2 best college player available in 2015 if he opted to sign with the league.
In 2014, during the college offseason, Larin rejoined Sigma as they entered the newly formed League1 Ontario. During the season, Larin scored four goals in five appearances for Sigma. During the season, Sigma reached the League 1 Ontario Cup final before ultimately losing 1–2 to Vaughan Azzurri.
Following the 2014 Major League Soccer regular season and during his sophomore season at UConn, Larin was once again predicted to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2015 MLS Superdraft if he opted to sign with the league and not for a European club, which were also rumoured to be interested in the player. At that time, Orlando City held the No. 1 pick in the draft after selecting it in the Expansion Draft held between themselves and fellow-expansion club New York City FC.
Club career Orlando City 2015 season In early January 2015, it was announced that Larin had reached a verbal agreement to sign a Generation Adidas contract with Major League Soccer despite interest from European clubs, including a club from the English Premier League. On January 8, 2015, it was officially announced that Larin had signed a Generation Adidas contract with the league, along with four other players. At the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, Larin was selected by Orlando City as the first overall pick as expected, becoming the first Canadian ever chosen first overall in the MLS SuperDraft in the process.
Larin was first included in an Orlando City match on March 13, 2015, remaining an unused substitute in their 1–0 win against the Houston Dynamo. Eight days later he made his debut, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute for Pedro Ribeiro in a 0–1 loss against the Vancouver Whitecaps at the Citrus Bowl. He scored his first professional league goal on April 12, opening a 2–0 away win against the Portland Timbers. Larin scored in his Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup debut as Orlando was defeated 1–3 by Chicago Fire in the quarter-finals. On July 18, in a 0–2 home loss to the New York Red Bulls, he was sent off in the first half for a high tackle on Sacha Kljestan; this red card was eventually overturned.
Eight days later, he scored his first professional hat-trick in an MLS fixture against New York City FC. With the hat-trick, Larin became only the 8th rookie to score three goals in an MLS match and only the third player to do so for an expansion side. Larin also became the third Canadian to score three goals in a match, along with Dwayne De Rosario and Tesho Akindele, and the second youngest player to do so behind only Kekuta Manneh, who was 18 at the time of his first MLS hat-trick. He was named MLS Player of the Week for his efforts.
In Orlando's next match, Larin scored two more goals as the club defeated Columbus Crew 5–2, tying him with Damani Ralph's rookie record of eleven goals.
On September 25, against the Red Bulls, he scored his second hat-trick of the season in a 5–2 victory on the road and, in the process, broke the rookie goal-scoring record. In November, having finished his first season with 17 goals in 27 games, Larin won the 2015 MLS Rookie of the Year Award.
2016 season On March 6, Orlando began the new season by hosting Real Salt Lake. Down 2–0 in the fourth minute of added time, Larin scored from Brek Shea's pass and then set up Adrian Winter's equalizer in the eventual 2–2 draw. He scored in each of the team's first three games of the season, the third being the only goal in a win at New York City on March 18. On March 18, he was also awarded Goal of the Week for his goal against Chicago Fire in a 1–1 draw seven days earlier. On August 5, Larin was given his second Goal of the Week award for his goal against the New England Revolution in a 3–1 victory five days earlier. On September 23, Larin was awarded his final Goal of the Week award for his sole goal in a 4–1 loss to Columbus Crew six days earlier.
Larin was selected for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game in San Jose, California, coming on in place of Sebastian Giovinco for the final 14 minutes of a 2–1 loss to England's Arsenal.
2017 season Larin scored the first three goals of Orlando's 2017 season, including a brace against Philadelphia. In the early hours of Thursday, June 15, Larin was arrested and charged with DUI. As a result, he missed three games while under assessment by MLS. After scoring 12 goals in the 2017 season, Larin indicated a desire to move to Europe in the offseason. His last match with Orlando City was a friendly match against Puerto Rico to raise money for the devastation caused by Hurricane María where he scored two goals.
Beşiktaş Larin was sold to Beşiktaş in Turkey in January 2018, after refusing to show up to practice with Orlando City, with whom he was still under contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed. On April 7, Larin scored on his debut with Beşiktaş in a 5–1 home Süper Lig win over Göztepe, minutes after entering as a late substitute. In the last game of the season on May 19, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 win over Sivasspor also at Vodafone Park.
In the second leg of the second qualifying round against the Faroese side B36 in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League, Larin scored three goals in a 6–0 win (8–0 aggregate) on August 2. This made him the second player after Demba Ba to bag a hat-trick for the Black Eagles in a European competition. After a difficult 2018–19 season with Beşiktaş, Larin was loaned to Belgian club Zulte Waregem in July 2019. He scored seven times in his season in the Belgian First Division A, including two in a 6–0 win over Cercle Brugge on October 5.
After returning to his parent club, on November 29, 2020, Larin was sent off in a 4–3 home win against Istanbul rivals Fenerbahçe. The following January 6, he scored four times in a 6–0 win over Çaykur Rizespor also at Vodafone Park, and repeated the feat in a 7–0 win over Hatayspor on May 1. He ended the season as a league champion and joint-second top scorer with 19 goals, behind Aaron Boupendza and alongside Mame Biram Diouf, both of Hatayspor.
Club Brugge On July 4, 2022, Larin signed a three-year deal with the Belgian First Division A club Club Brugge. He made his debut on July 17 in Brugge's Belgian Super Cup match against Gent, subbing in the second half in an eventual 1–0 victory. Larin scored his first goal on September 10 against Seraing.
Loan to Valladolid In January 2023, Larin was loaned to La Liga side Valladolid for the remainder of the season, with an option to buy. He made his debut on January 29 against Valencia, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory despite coming on as a late substitute. He scored again in a 0–1 victory on February 5 against Real Sociedad. Larin scored eight goals and assisted three in 19 games, but his club was relegated. His loan was made permanent at the end of the season, for €1.5 million.
Mallorca On August 3, 2023, Larin was sold to fellow La Liga club Mallorca on a five-year contract for an estimated fee of €8 million. He scored his first goal for the club on December 9, 2023, producing the only goal of the game against Sevilla. Of the seven goals Larin scored in his first season at Mallorca, four came in the Copa del Rey, including a 120th-minute winner away to Tenerife in the last 16. He played in the final, which the team lost on penalties to Athletic Bilbao.
In his second year at Mallorca, Larin again scored seven goals, which saw him finish the season as the club's joint top scorer.
Loan to Feyenoord On September 2, 2025, Larin was loaned to Eredivisie side Feyenoord. He made 15 appearances, scoring once in the Europa League against Panathinaikos, before the loan was terminated on February 2, 2026.
Southampton On the same day his loan with Feyenoord was terminated, Larin joined EFL Championship club Southampton on loan for the remainder of the 2025–26 season, with an option for him to move permanently in the summer. On February 7, he scored on his debut for the club shortly after coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 victory against Watford. His loan spell at Southampton was more productive; on May 2, 2026, he scored his ninth goal of the season in a 3–1 victory against Preston North End, his third consecutive match with a goal.
On June 5, 2026, Larin joined Southampton permanently on a two-year contract which started from June 15. On August 29, 2026, he scored a brace in a 5–1 victory against Millwall. On September 11, 2026, Larin was named EFL Championship Player of the Month for August after a run of four goals in three games. The following day, he scored a brace in a 4–1 victory over Bristol City.
International career Youth career and senior debut After Larin's impressive first-year season at the University of Connecticut, Canada national team manager Benito Floro called him in for a senior national training camp in Florida in January 2014 — Larin's first national callup at any level, senior or junior. In May 2014, Larin was included in the roster for a senior training camp in Austria and friendly matches against Bulgaria and Moldova on May 23 and 27, respectively. Larin was viewed as a potential offensive solution for the team which was experiencing a scoring drought of over 900 minutes and winless streak of 15 games entering the friendlies. He made his senior international debut in the match against Bulgaria in Ritzing, coming on as a substitute for Simeon Jackson later in the second half of a 1–1 draw.