After three seasons in the Canadian Premier League, and two trophy celebrations, Cavalry FC midfielder Charlie Trafford has chosen to call it quits on his professional career, he announced Tuesday.

Trafford is hanging up the boots at age 32 after a successful 12-year professional career, which took him as far and wide as Finland, Poland and Scotland, before he returned to his native Calgary in 2022.

Over three full campaigns with Cavalry — plus two matches earlier this year in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup — Trafford made 84 total appearances for the club across all competitions. He retires with the sixth-most games played for Cavalry in the club’s history.

Trafford leaves Cavalry with a fuller trophy cabinet than he found it; he helped the club win the CPL regular season title in 2023, and in 2024 he was a major part of their North Star Cup championship. He was also imperative in both of Cavalry’s Concacaf Champions Cup campaigns, starting both matches in 2024 against Orlando City SC and again starting both legs of the 2025 tie against Pumas UNAM — scoring a goal against Pumas in this year’s home leg.

“It has been an honour being part of Charlie’s playing journey,” said Cavalry head coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “I got to work with him as a young player at Calgary Foothills, then watch him embark on his professional journey overseas with admiration, until I was finally able to convince him to return home and help us continue to grow the game here and win some trophies together. He has made a huge impact on my life as a coach and a human being. As a truly exceptional character with an incredible competitive edge, he passes on the number six jersey to the next generation with a huge sense of pride.”

Trafford’s career also took him to the international stage, where he represented the Canadian men’s national team three times between 2015 and 2017. He made his debut in a friendly against Ghana in 2015, playing alongside future Cavalry teammate Fraser Aird.

In his career, and especially in his time with Cavalry, Trafford became known to fans as a hard-working central midfielder with exceptional ball-moving ability and defensive acumen. He provided significant bite to the Cavs’ midfield,

“It’s hard to put this emotion into words,” said Trafford. “I’m sad, scared, proud, and excited all at once. Soccer has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. It gave me unforgettable joy and equally tough pain. It taught me everything that I know and helped me grow through setbacks and celebrate triumphs. It’s made me who I am and given me the tools and community to step into my next chapter. I’d like to thank my parents, the entire Spruce Meadows organization, Tommy, every teammate and brother I’ve shared the locker room with, my family; wife; friends; coaches; and mentors, and Cavalry’s incredible fans. I’m stepping away from playing, but the game will always be a part of me.”

Trafford will now be pouring his energy into his off-field passion of urban farming, which has flourished in the past two years with the success of his business Trafford Farms, which he runs with his sister Sya. Trafford aims to continue producing locally-grown produce to Canadians with a focus on sustainability, having already opened a second location just north of Calgary.

Cavalry, meanwhile, now look ahead to the 2025 Canadian Premier League season, which they’ll begin on April 5 with a match in Hamilton against Forge FC.