Toronto FC today announced that the club has reached a transfer agreement to sign German midfielder Niklas Dorsch from 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 of the 2. Bundesliga. The 28-year-old midfielder will join the Reds through the 2030-31 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, and he will occupy an international roster spot, pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and Canadian work permit.
“We are excited to welcome Niklas to Toronto,” said Toronto FC General Manager Jason Hernandez. “Niklas joins us after several seasons in strong European competition. His skillset, mentality, and work rate will be a welcomed addition to our midfield. We look forward to Niklas playing a big role at the club for years to come.”
Dorsch, 28, joins Toronto FC after featuring for top-flight clubs in Germany and Belgium (Bayern Munich, Heidenheim, KAA Gent and FC Augsburg), where he made a combined 243 appearances, registering 12 goals and 15 assists across top European competitions, including Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Jupiler Pro League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Lichtenfels, Germany native most recently played for Germany’s 1. FC Heidenheim, where he made 32 appearances (27 starts) during the 2025-26 Bundesliga season. During his two spells with Heidenheim, the defensive midfielder logged five goals and 10 assists through 133 appearances across all competitions (Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and UEFA Conference League) for the German club.
Along with other stops in his career, the midfielder featured for Belgian side Gent and Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. During the 2020-21 season, he registered four goals and four assists through 43 matches across all competitions (Jupiler Pro League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League Qualifiers and Croky Cup) with Gent. With FC Augsburg, Dorsch registered two goals through 66 matches across all competitions (Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal) since joining the club ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Dorsch began his career with the Bayern Munich Academy, progressing through the youth ranks before making his Bundesliga debut with the First Team against Eintracht Frankfurt on April 28, 2018, where he scored his first professional goal in his lone appearance for Bayern Munich.
Internationally, Dorsch has earned 37 caps for Germany across the country’s youth national teams from U-15 to U-21, including his participation at the U-17 FIFA World Cup Chile 2015, where he made four appearances. He made his debut for the U-15 age group in a friendly match against South Korea on November 9, 2012. In 2021, Dorsch was part of the squad that won the UEFA European U-21 Championship after beating 1-0 Portugal, helping Germany capture their third UEFA European U-21 Championship title.
TRANSACTION: Toronto FC acquire midfielder Niklas Dorsch to an MLS contract through 2030-3 from 1. FC Heidenheim. He will be added to the club’s roster pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and Canadian work permit.
NIKLAS DORSCH - #6
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 167 lbs.
Birthdate: January 15, 1998 (Age – 28)
Hometown: Lichtenfels, Germany
Nationality: German
Last Club: 1. FC Heidenheim
