A college soccer player for the Chico State Wildcats, he played in 2004 for the Chico Rooks and was drafted to the San Jose Earthquakes in 2005. The team became the Houston Dynamo the following season, and he played a part in their MLS Cup wins in 2006 and 2007 before returning to the re-established Earthquakes in 2009. With 161 goals in Major League Soccer, he is the highest scorer in the competition's history, as well as the only player in league history to score 150 or more regular-season goals. As of September 28, 2019, Wondolowski is also the only player in league history to have scored ten or more goals in ten consecutive seasons. He also holds the record for most MLS goals on the road and MLS game winning goals (both home and away).