HOUSTON (June 17, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC signed forward Ezequiel Ponce on a full transfer from AEK Athens in Greece, both clubs announced today. The deal marks the largest transfer fee in club history for the Dynamo.
The 27-year-old is signed to a contract through June 2027 with club options through December 2027 and 2028. Ponce will occupy a Designated Player spot pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
"First, we want to thank Ted for providing us with the support to continue pushing this club forward. He remains deeply committed to building a sustainable winner in the city of Houston, and our mission is to turn his vision into a reality,” General Manager Pat Onstad said. “We performed an exhaustive, world-wide search for a new starting striker, and Ezequiel was our number one target. He has experience scoring in the top competitions in the world, he is a great fit for our game model, and his character and professionalism are exemplary.”
“Most importantly, Ezequiel and his family were very motivated to come to Houston and be a big part of our project,” Onstad continued. “He impressed us at every step of our evaluation process. We are thrilled to have Ezequiel, Martina and their young family join us in Houston, and we hope to achieve great things together.”
Ponce has scored 65 goals and recorded nine assists in all competitions across six top-flight leagues in South America and Europe. The Argentinian has appeared in 247 matches (137 starts) in Argentina (Newell’s Old Boys), Italy (Roma), Spain (Granada and Elche), France (Lille), Greece (AEK Athens) and Russia (Spartak Moscow).
The forward arrives with both UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience, totaling 13 appearances (nine starts) with AEK Athens (2018-19 and 2023-24) and Spartak Moscow (2021-22). Ponce most recently scored a European cup goal in AEK’s 3-2 victory over Brighton, sealing the result with a goal in the 84th minute in September last year.
Ponce has played two stints with his most recent club, AEK Athens. During the 2018-19 season, he helped the club finish second in Super League Greece 1 and advance to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, scoring 21 goals in 3,198 minutes in all competitions. During the 2023-24 season, he contributed to the club’s third place finish in the Super League Greece 1 and advancement to the group stage in the UEFA Europa League, scoring 16 goals in 1,891 minutes in all competitions.
The Rosario, Argentina native made his professional debut with hometown club Newell’s Old Boys at the age of 16 in 2014. On the international stage, Ponce represented Argentina at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea and the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.
Ponce joins a Dynamo team that has competed above the MLS playoff line since the start of the 2024 season, while also advancing further in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup than any team in the Western Conference. Houston is looking to replicate their strong campaign last year under head coach Ben Olsen, which saw the team lift the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and make a run to the Western Conference Final in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
