Maximo Carrizo has become the youngest player in MLS history, signing his first professional contract with NYCFC on his 14th birthday. He breaks the previous record held by Freddy Adu, who signed at 14 years and 168 days old.
Key points
Maximo Carrizo signed with NYCFC on his 14th birthday
Carrizo is the youngest player in MLS history
Freddy Adu previously held the record
Adu signed with D.C. United at 14 years and 168 days
Axel Kei was the previous record holder before Carrizo
Records were meant to be broken, and after Freddy Adu's 18-year-old mark as the youngest professional player in MLS history was beaten last month, that bar has been reset again.
Maximo Carrizo officially became the youngest player to sign a professional contract in MLS history, signing his first pro deal with NYCFC on his 14th birthday on Feb. 28, 2022. The signing sees Carrizo top Axel Kei, who signed with Real Salt Lake in mid-January and at the time became the record holder.
Prior to Carrizo and Kei, the youngest player in MLS history was Freddy Adu, who famously signed a pro contract with D.C. United in 2004 at 14 years and 168 days old. Adu would go on to become the youngest player ever to appear in U.S. professional sports when he came off the bench for D.C. United's first match that season.
Q&A
Who is the youngest player to sign a professional contract in MLS history?
Maximo Carrizo is the youngest player to sign a professional contract in MLS history, doing so on his 14th birthday.
What record did Maximo Carrizo break in MLS?
Maximo Carrizo broke the record previously held by Freddy Adu, who signed his first pro contract at 14 years and 168 days old.
How old was Freddy Adu when he signed his MLS contract?
Freddy Adu was 14 years and 168 days old when he signed his contract with D.C. United in 2004.
Which teams did Maximo Carrizo and Axel Kei sign with in MLS?
Maximo Carrizo signed with NYCFC, while Axel Kei signed with Real Salt Lake.
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The Adu record stood for quite some time, and though four other players came close in recent years, signing before their 15th birthdays, they were still all a tad older.
āItās an honor for me and my family to make MLS history by becoming the leagueās youngest player to sign a first team contract," said Carrizo in the club's announcement. "This is an incredible club with amazing people, Iād like to thank everyone at NYCFC for believing in me and helping me take the next step in my career.
"I know Iām young and I have a lot to improve, but I am ready for the challenge and will work hard every day to show everyone what I am capable of."
Youngest players in MLS history
There have been plenty of young players to sign professional contracts in MLS.
Below are the 10 youngest players in league history.
Maximo Carrizo, signing a professional contract with NYCFC on his 14th birthday, is the youngest player in MLS history.
Born in Manhattan and of Argentine descent, Carrizo joined NYCFC's academy in 2018 at just nine years old. He was a member of FC Westchester based inĀ New Rochelle, New York, and was invited to the club's first-team preseason camp earlier this winter.
Carrizo has also recently earned attention at the national team level, one of 36 players called in to the U.S. Under-15 training camp in early January. He was one of just three players on the roster born in 2008.
The youngster's deal with NYCFC is for six years, taking him through the 2027 season.
āItās inspiring to see how NYCFC produces talent and how homegrown players get the opportunity to play in the first team,ā Carrizo said. āI know this will take some time, but I am willing to be patient and learn from the amazing group of players and coaches that we have at this club.ā
The club announced that Carrizo will be eligible to play for the NYCFC II team set to compete in the newly formed MLS NEXT Pro League, which is the USA's new third division.
The MLS NEXT Pro League begins play in March, with NYCFC II scheduled to kick off on March 27, playing home games atĀ Belson Stadium in Queens, NY on the campus of St. John's University.
Youngest players to appear in an MLS game
Cavan Sullivan broke Freddy Adu's record as the youngest player to appear in an MLS game when he entered for the Philadelphia Union on July 17, 2024.
Sullivan was just 14 years, 293 days old when he entered the match, breaking Adu's record by 13 days.
The youngest goal scorer in MLS history is stillĀ Freddy Adu, who set the record just over a month before his 15th birthday when he began his career with D.C. United. Cavan Sullivan may have broken his appearance record, but did not score his first league goal until he was 16 years, 227 days old.
Julian HallĀ became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in MLS history when he bagged a trio of goals for the New York Red Bulls on May 13, 2026 at just 18 years, 50 days old. Hall had previously been the third-youngest player to appear in an MLS match when he debuted at 15 years, 190 days old back in 2023.
