Former Sporting KC Midfielder Gadi Kinda Dies at 31

Former Sporting Kansas City midfielder, Gadi Kinda, has passed away following a medical issue at the age of 31.

The Israeli international had been out of action since March because of a medical issue, with Sporting KC players paying tribute to him ahead of their game in Portland a little over a week ago.

Kinda spent four years in Kansas City from 2020 through 2023, appearing eighty times across all competitions and scoring sixteen goals for the club. The biggest of which might have been his goal against St. Louis City in the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs. A goal, which at the time, made the score 3-1 in the first game of the series shortly before halftime. After his contract expired at the end of the season, Kinda returned to Israel where he signed with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League, who he played for until his death.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Sporting KC midfielder Gadi Kinda.

Our hearts are with Gadi’s family, his friends, teammates and all who knew him. pic.twitter.com/LYJaPXE1Ox

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) May 20, 2025

Comments and condolences have come out in regard to his passing. Sporting’s interim head coach, Kerry Zavagnin, on Kinda’s passing said it was still a raw emotion, and that “It hurts down to my heart knowing him as a person, which was a much better version than what he was as a player. And he was a pretty darn good player.”

His current club as well shared comments from the club’s president about his passing.

נשיא המועדון סופד לגדי 💔 pic.twitter.com/5Xqm9QA4ss

— Maccabi Haifa FC (@mhfootballclub) May 20, 2025

Comments have come in from the league as well as one of Sporting’s co-owners, Patrick Mahomes. And many more will come in the coming hours and days.

It’s especially heartbreaking as Kinda has a wife and a young family that now is without their husband and father.

Every member of the KC Soccer Journal sends our thoughts and prayers out to Kinda’s family, friends, current and former teammates, and anyone else that was touched by him throughout his life during this difficult time.