Birk Risa is now a former New York City FC player, as his departure to rejoin his former club, Molde FK in his native Norway, is now official.
Word first broke late last week via Stian André de Wahl of Nettavisen that Risa was leaving New York City to return to Norway and rejoin his former team.
Hints were also there in an earlier interview Risa conducted with Nettavisen published in late June which included a quote from the player saying, "We have had a great time, but you can tell it is a different culture. My wife and I want our children to grow up in Norway. We can see how safe and good it is here," while revealing his family had already made the move back to Norway while he continued on, briefly, playing in New York City.
This makes it official that Risa's time in the United States is ending, but it became all but official on NYCFC's Matchday 21 in Charlotte. The 27-year-old defender wasn't included in the squad at all for the Charlotte game, so his final appearance goes down as the 3-1 home win over Toronto FC.
According to the release shared by New York City FC, Risa departs the club for an undisclosed transfer fee. NYCFC paid a reported $1 million to Molde to acquire him in July 2023, and he was the third-highest earner on the 2025 roster with guaranteed compensation totaling $908,250 for this season.
Oliver Strand
This 2025 season with New York City was also, per the official Club Roster Profile released in February, the final one guaranteed to Risa in the contract he signed when joining in 2023, though an option in that contract could have kept him with the team in 2026.
Risa stepped in and immediately improved the New York City backline when he arrived in the summer of 2023, forming a strong partnership with Thiago Martins as the left-footed, left-sided center-back at the heart of the team's defense. His 2024 had some ups but a few significant downs due to on-and-off battles with injuries, and the fact that by season's end, he was replaced as a starter in the NYCFC defense by Justin Haak.
Hudson River Blue Staff
In 2025, he again saw starter's minutes in spurts under new manager Pascal Jansen, and again was replaced as the starter at center-back by Justin Haak. Risa finished his time playing in NYCFC colors by filling in as the team's nominal starter at left-back, but while often sliding in as a third center-back on the left side of a fluid setup from Jansen that can be 4-2-3-1 or 3-2-4-1 depending on the moment in the match.
Risa's final tally with New York City FC stands at 62 matches played, with 10 coming in 2023, 34 in 2024, and 18 this season in 2025. He didn't score but he did have one assist – a beauty of a long back-to-front pass that Mounsef Bakrar latched onto and buried for his first MLS goal, a real "what might have been" moment occurring early in the NYCFC tenures of each player.
You can read NYCFC's full statement on Risa's departure below, which includes some quotes from Risa and from New York City Sporting Director David Lee.
NEW YORK – July 14, 2025 – Today New York City FC announced that it has transferred Defender Birk Risa to Molde FK.
The Norwegian joined the Club in the summer of 2023 and went on to make 62 appearances for the ‘Boys in Blue’ across MLS, Leagues Cup and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, notching an assist along the way.
“We would like to thank Birk for all his contributions to the Club. From the moment he arrived in New York City, Birk has been a consummate professional. His leadership on and off the field has been truly infectious, and he quickly became an integral part of our community,” said Sporting Director David Lee. “We respect Birk’s desire to return home and support his decision to prioritize his family, and we are pleased to have been able to finalize a transfer with Molde. This move also provides us with additional roster flexibility as we continue to strengthen the squad heading into the second half of the season.”
Risa returns to Norway, where he previously made 95 appearances for Molde. During that time, he scored three goals, provided six assists, and won both the league and domestic cup.
“I want to thank everyone at the Club for everything they've done for me during my time in New York City. I'm leaving with memories that will last a lifetime, and I truly enjoyed every moment representing this Club and this City,” said Defender Birk Risa. “As I take the next step in my career and return home, I’m filled with gratitude. I want to thank the incredible New York City fans for their unwavering support. I’ll be cheering on my teammates from afar and wishing them all the best for the rest of the season.”
Everyone at the Club wishes Birk all the best in Norway.
