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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FILE - A Sporting Kansas City flag flies prior to an MLS soccer match between Sporting Kansas City and Inter Miami, April 13, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Nick Tre. Smith, File)

ZURICH (AP) — A record number of 5,973 international transfers were recorded in the January trading window for men’s soccer, according to a FIFA report released Thursday.

That marks a 3% increase from the previous year in cross-border deals between clubs in different countries, where the transactions are processed by FIFA.

However, the total spending was down about 18% from last year's record, to $1.95 billion. That's still some 20% more than the previous record from January 2023, FIFA said.

In women’s soccer, clubs spent more than $10 million on international transfers, up 85% from the previous record a year ago, while the number of international transfers was down by 6% to 420.

The FIFA research does not include domestic transfers of players between two clubs in the same country.

English clubs were again the biggest spenders with a $363 million outlay on transfer fees and recouped just $150 million by selling players to clubs in other countries. Italy followed in second with $283 million, with Brazil, Germany, and France also making the top five.

French clubs benefited most, earning $218 million in transfer sales, followed by Italy, Brazil, England and Spain.

In the United States, clubs spent $99 million and took in $48 million in transfer fees, according to the FIFA research.

English women’s clubs also topped the spending with over $5 million, and also were the biggest earners.

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Newcastle's Nick Woltemade, left, and Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly fight for the ballduring the English League Cup semifinal soccer match soccer match between Manchester City and Newcastle in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)