Sporting Kansas City announced on Friday the signing of 15-year-old forward Gianluca Busio as a homegrown player.
Busio’s MLS contract runs through 2020 with options for 2021 and 2022.
At 15 years and 89 days, Busio becomes the second-youngest player all-time to sign an MLS contract and the youngest active player in Major League Soccer.
“Gianluca (Busio) is a very talented player who has the opportunity to progress along our professional pathway from the Academy to the first team,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said in a news release. “He fits our style of play, has great vision on the field and can score goals from several different positions. As Gianluca continues to develop, the structure of our club will allow him to take steps toward his objective of playing at the top level for Sporting KC in the future.”
“This is a dream come true, and I could not be more grateful,” Busio said. “Since I was a kid, I always dreamed of being a professional soccer player, so I want to thank Peter Vermes and the Sporting Kansas City organization for giving me this opportunity. From the day I arrived in Kansas City, they have made me feel like part of the family.”
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Busio joined the Sporting KC Academy last fall from the North Carolina Fusion, where he competed for the U-14s and U-16s during the 2015-16 Development Academy campaign. He currently attends Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas.