Rio Hope-Gund joins DCFC on a one-year contract, with an option to extend for the 2027 season.
The New York, New York native spent the 2025 season with Rhode Island FC. Initially joining on a 25-day contract, Rhode Island would sign him for the rest of the season after impressing during his trial. Hope-Gund would make 19 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Hope-Gund joined Rhode Island after spending the previous two seasons with MLS NEXT Pro side New York City FC II. He made 35 appearances with NYCFC’s reserves over two seasons. Across 3,225 minutes for the club, he registered one goal and one assist.
Hope-Gund was chosen in the first round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando City SC with the 19th overall pick, but would not make any appearances with the club. After a very brief stint with DC United in 2022 that saw him appear in one Lamar Hunt US Open match, he transferred to Loudoun United FC in the USL Championship in 2022, where he made his professional debut on March 12, 2022, and served as captain in a 1-0 victory against Indy Eleven. Hope-Gund would make 20 total appearances across the USL Championship.
Before signing his first professional contract, Hope-Gund enjoyed a successful five-year college career at Georgetown University. He started 32 of 44 matches across his time in Washington D.C., helping Georgetown win back-to-back Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2018 and 2019, as well as the program’s first National Championship in 2019. He played every minute of the National Championship game, earning an assist in a dramatic 3-3 draw that saw Georgetown win the title in a penalty shootout against #1 seed Virginia. Hope-Gund was part of a back line in 2019 that recorded 13 shutouts during that national championship season. In 2020, he was named the Big East Defender of the Year and selected to the All-Big East First Team after helping the Hoyas secure a third straight Big East Regular Season championship.
