Sporting Kansas City signs 15-year-old Zamir Loyo Reynaga, hoping he’ll debut in the MLS in 2027
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Sporting Kansas City has signed 15-year-old midfielder Zamir Loyo Reynaga, putting him on a trajectory for a 2027 MLS debut.
The MLS Next Pro deal will send Loyo Reynaga to Sporting KC II this season with the likelihood he joins the first team next year. The contract runs through the 2030-31 season and has a club option for 2031-32.
“We are delighted that Zamir has committed to becoming a professional player at this young age,” president of soccer operations and general manager David Lee said. “When I arrived at the club, I wanted to assess the existing talent within our system and it quickly became clear that we had a player in Zamir with special talent and high potential based on how he was performing last season at the age of 14.”
Loyo Reynaga became the youngest player in franchise history to debut with SKC II on Sept. 28, 2025, at 14 years, 251 days old and he spent part of the 2026 preseason with Sporting KC’s first team.
He first joined the SKC Academy in 2023 when he played for the under-14 team at the Cronos Cup in December of that year.
Internationally, Loyo Reynaga has represented both the United States and Mexico in youth competition. He joined the U.S. under-14 national team for camp last April then represented Mexico’s U15 team in July. He appeared most recently with the American U15 national team in September at a domestic training camp and is expected to rejoin the team at training camp later this month in Cyprus.
“This is a day of celebration for Zamir, his family and the club but the work continues immediately to maximize Zamir’s potential and help him reach the highest level,” Lee said. “Player development is not linear, and our role is to support Zamir through his next period of growth one step at a time through a humble, hard-working and dedicated approach.”
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