In 1979, he was the top draft pick of the New England Tea Men of the North American Soccer League.
He played twenty-seven games, scoring one goal, as the Tea Men remained in the NASL for the 1981 and 1982 seasons.
On April 17, 1984, Lignos signed with the Fort Lauderdale Sun in the United Soccer League for the 1984 season.
However, he and his teammates did not compete after President Jimmy Carter boycotted the Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Lignos earned one cap with the U.S. national team in a 2–1 win over Trinidad and Tobago on March 21, 1982, when he came on for Tom O’Hara.