Feb. 28 (UPI) -- New York City Football Club signed 14-year-old Maximo Carrizo to a homegrown contract Monday, making him the youngest first-team signing in Major League Soccer history.
Carrizo celebrated his 14th birthday on the same day he signed the pact, which runs through the 2027 season with an option for 2028. The young midfielder is the 10th homegrown signing in NYCFC history.
"It feels great," Carrizo told the team's official website. "I've been working really hard for this with all my teammates, all my coaches, and it's just the next step to be able to get where I really want to be as a player and as a person."
Last month, Axel Kei (14 years, 15 days) signed a deal with Real Salt Lake to break the previous record for youngest signing in MLS history. Before Kei's signing with RSL, the old mark had been held by Freddy Adu since 2004.
Carrizo, who has Argentinian heritage, eclipses both of those records and could immediately factor into the club's plans for NYCFC II, which begins play in the newly formed MLS Next Pro League in March.
Carrizo joined the NYCFC academy in 2018 as an under-12 player and was extended an invitation to participate in the first-team training camp this past preseason. He also took part in the under-15 MLS Next playoffs in 2021 and was called up to the U.S. under-15 national team camp earlier this year.
