Shaq Moore Bio
Shaquell Kwame Moore, known professionally as Shaq Moore, is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and the United States national team. Born on November 2, 1996, in Powder Springs, Georgia, Moore developed through the IMG Academy system before launching his senior career in Spain in 2015. Across nearly a decade in professional football, he has competed in La Liga, the Spanish second division, and Major League Soccer, while also representing the United States at multiple youth levels and with the senior squad. In 2021, he was part of the American team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Early Life and Background
Moore was born and raised in Powder Springs, Georgia, a suburban community west of Atlanta. He is the son of Wendell Moore, a former professional soccer player who represented Trinidad and Tobago, and through that Caribbean heritage he was eligible to represent the Caribbean nation before choosing the United States. Through his mother, Moore is the nephew of Richard Goddard, a goalkeeper who also played for Trinidad and Tobago, reinforcing a strong family connection to the sport.
His older brother, CJ Moore, played college soccer for the Gardner–Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in 2012, further embedding athletics within the household. Moore attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, one of the most respected soccer development programs in the United States, where he trained alongside many of the country’s top youth prospects. In April 2014, while still in the academy pathway, he began training with Major League Soccer side FC Dallas, an experience that helped him adjust to a professional environment before leaving the country.
Path to Soccer
Moore’s transition toward a professional career accelerated in August 2014, when he moved to Spain and trained with three clubs based in the city of Valencia: Valencia CF, Levante UD, and Huracán Valencia CF. While waiting for his international transfer certificate, he was assigned to Huracán’s Juvenil A squad. That patience paid off on May 9, 2015, when he signed his first senior contract with Huracán and officially entered the professional ranks.
His youth international experience ran parallel to his club development. After rejecting Trinidad and Tobago at the under-15 level, Moore represented the United States at the under-17, under-18, and under-20 levels. He captained the U.S. under-17 team in 2012–13, including at the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, and later appeared with the under-20s at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. These tournaments sharpened his tactical awareness and prepared him for the demands of senior football.
Shaq Moore Career
Early Career (2015–2016)
Moore made his senior debut on August 22, 2015, entering as a second-half substitute for Javi Soria in a 1–1 Segunda División B home draw against CD Atlético Baleares. After struggling for consistent minutes at Huracán, he moved on January 7, 2016, joining Real Oviedo’s reserve side, Oviedo B, in search of regular playing time. The change of scenery produced quick results, as he began to establish himself as a reliable right-back with an attacking mindset.
Later that year, on August 30, 2016, he transferred to Atlético Levante UD, the reserve team of Levante, also competing in the third tier of Spanish football. The move placed him within a structured La Liga organization known for developing young defenders. Across these formative seasons, Moore accumulated valuable experience in Spain’s lower divisions, laying the groundwork for an eventual promotion to top-flight football.
Levante Breakthrough (2017–2019)
Moore’s first taste of La Liga arrived on September 30, 2017, when he was included in a first-team matchday for a league fixture against Deportivo Alavés. His official first-team debut came on October 26, 2017, starting in a 2–0 Copa del Rey away win over Girona FC. Three days later, he made his La Liga debut by replacing Ivi in a 2–2 draw at SD Eibar, and on November 18, 2017, he started his first league match, helping Levante defeat UD Las Palmas 2–0 away.
That campaign made Moore only the fourth American to play in La Liga, following Kasey Keller, Jozy Altidore, and Oguchi Onyewu. He finished the 2017–18 season with eight first-team appearances, balancing reserve duties with senior exposure. On July 13, 2018, he agreed to a season-long loan with Segunda División side CF Reus Deportiu, but on December 28, 2018, he departed the club along with four teammates due to unpaid wages, cutting short what had promised to be a productive spell.
Tenerife (2019–2022)
On July 24, 2019, Moore signed a three-year contract with CD Tenerife in the Spanish second division, and the following May his deal was extended through 2024. He became a regular in the lineup from the Canary Islands, ultimately playing 101 total matches for the club. His lone goal for Tenerife opened a 4–2 win at Extremadura UD on February 8, 2020.
Moore’s most dramatic moment with Tenerife came in his final appearance on June 19, 2022, a 3–1 home loss to Girona FC in the promotion playoff final. Despite the defeat, his three seasons on the island cemented his reputation as a dependable, attack-minded full-back capable of performing across long campaigns.
Nashville SC Era (2022–2024)
On July 19, 2022, Moore signed with Major League Soccer side Nashville SC for a reported transfer fee of US$2 million, marking his return to American soccer after eight years in Spain. He debuted eleven days later in a 1–1 home draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, logging 63 minutes in the match. His pace and overlapping runs quickly made him a key component of Nashville’s defensive structure and wide attacking play.
Across his two and a half seasons in Tennessee, Moore offered consistency at right-back while helping Nashville compete in the competitive Eastern Conference. His Spanish background also brought tactical discipline and possession-based habits that complemented the team’s evolving style under head coach Gary Smith and his successors.
FC Dallas Era (2025–Present)
On December 27, 2024, FC Dallas acquired Moore from Nashville SC in exchange for up to $150,000 in General Allocation Money, completing a homecoming of sorts. The defender had trained with the Dallas organization a decade earlier as a teenager, making the move a notable full-circle moment. He wears the number 18 shirt for the Texas club.
Moore’s arrival added veteran leadership and international experience to a young Dallas back line. His familiarity with Major League Soccer, combined with years of high-level play in Spain, positioned him as a mentor figure within the locker room. Heading into the new campaign, he is expected to serve as a starting right-back and a stabilizing presence on the right flank.
Driving Style and Strengths
Moore combines defensive reliability with an attacking mindset, regularly pushing forward to support overlaps and deliver crosses from the right touchline. His years in Spanish football sharpened his positional awareness and comfort in possession, while his pace allows him to recover defensively when teams counter through his channel. Coaches have valued his consistency, durability across long seasons, and willingness to track back under pressure.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Moore’s international career came on July 18, 2021, when he scored against Canada in the CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage after only 20 seconds, breaking Clint Dempsey’s record for the fastest goal in U.S. men’s national team history by 14 seconds. He went on to play every match as the United States lifted the trophy, including the final against Mexico. On November 9, 2022, he was named to the U.S. squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, marking his first appearance at a senior World Cup.
Shaq Moore Career Wins
Moore’s most prominent trophy arrived at the international level when he helped the United States win the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. At club level, his most notable achievement came with CD Tenerife, where he featured in 101 matches across three seasons and reached the 2022 Segunda División promotion playoff final. While he has not won a major club title, his consistency in Spain and Major League Soccer has established him as one of the more experienced American right-backs of his generation.
International Highlights
Moore made his senior debut for the United States on June 2, 2018, entering as a 70th-minute substitute for DeAndre Yedlin in a 1–2 friendly loss to the Republic of Ireland. After being uncapped since November 2018, he was recalled by head coach Gregg Berhalter for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he delivered the record-breaking goal against Canada and helped the team capture the title.
Shaq Moore Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Moore comes from a deeply rooted soccer family. His father, Wendell Moore, was a professional player who represented Trinidad and Tobago, and his maternal uncle, Richard Goddard, played as a goalkeeper for the same Caribbean national team. His older brother, CJ Moore, played college soccer at Gardner–Webb University in 2012, continuing the family’s tradition in the sport.
Personal Life
Moore holds dual nationality through his Trinidadian heritage, though he has chosen to represent the United States at the international level. He is widely known by the nickname Shaq, a shortened version of his given name Shaquell. Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall, Moore has built his professional career across two continents while maintaining close ties to his family and his hometown of Powder Springs, Georgia.
2025 Season Performance
Moore entered 2025 as a new addition to FC Dallas following his December 2024 trade from Nashville SC. The move reunited him with a club where he had trained as a teenager, and he was expected to compete for the starting right-back role from the opening weekend. His prior experience in Major League Soccer, combined with more than 100 senior appearances in Spanish football, gave him a clear edge in preseason evaluations.
Fans and analysts closely monitored his early-season form, particularly his attacking output along the right flank and his chemistry with Dallas’s wide midfielders. The club viewed him as a defensive anchor capable of mentoring younger defenders on the roster. With playoff ambitions in a competitive Western Conference, Moore’s leadership and consistency were central to Dallas’s outlook heading into the summer stretch.
Beyond club duties, Moore remained eligible for selection by the United States national team, adding further motivation to maintain peak form. His previous selection to the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad underscored his standing within the U.S. player pool. A strong 2025 campaign could position him for additional senior call-ups and reinforce his reputation as one of the country’s most reliable right-backs.