Cincy’s banking on homegrown early life, signing midfielder Gerardo ‘Dado’ Valenzuela during the 2026 season – with choices for 2027 and 2028, because the group sits momentarily on the most sensible of the Jap Convention.
The 18-year-old is now the 7th participant from the Orange and Blue academy machine to signal a first-team deal. He will even be the 5th that does so who’s lately at the roster.
“Dado is a thrilling younger participant who has labored extremely laborious for this chance,” Chris Albright, FC Cincinnati’s common supervisor, stated in a free up. “He has an innate skill at the ball and continues to give a boost to his defensive figuring out of the sport.
“His enlargement from our academy thru MLS NEXT Professional has been a testomony to all of the paintings that’s been performed in our participant pathway and we stay up for his persisted construction with the primary group.”
Dado has scored two times and equipped an help for FC Cincinnati 2 in 22 video games for the MLS NEXT Professional membership and is among the maximum extremely rated avid gamers within the squad with an total 7.29 FotMob ranking.
He joined the academy within the fall of 2020 and performed for the U-17 and U-19 squads.
“I am excited to signal my first skilled contract with FC Cincinnati,” stated Valenzuela. “It is been my dream to be a certified ever since I used to be little, and it feels even higher to have completed this with the fortify of this nice group, my circle of relatives, and my coaches.”
Cincy can be hoping that Dado joins and contributes to the senior squad along 19-year-old ahead Arquimides Ordoñez, who is lately with the Guatemala squad on the U-20 FIFA Global Cup in Argentina.
