2026 is well underway and our MLS Next Homegrown teams have already kicked off the year with their first set of games against City SC at home at the Phoenix Rising FC Youth Facility. Our teams won four out of six games, a great way to start the new year!
Our Phoenix Rising FC professional side is getting ready to head into preseason, and we are excited to share that several of our Homegrown players have been invited to participate with the professional side’s preseason. We are proud to offer the only direct pathway to professional soccer in the state of Arizona, backed by head coach Pa-Modou Kah and the professional staff’s commitment to developing our players and providing opportunities at the professional level.
Congratulations and good luck to the following players who have been selected*:
- Alexander B.
- Anthony C.
- Caleb F.
- Eziah R.
- Jackson G.
- Jake H.
- Jaethan I.
- Jesus C.
- Noah C.
- Tristan S.
- Wes W.
We’re incredibly proud of the boys who have been invited into First Team preseason. These opportunities reflect the hard work, commitment, and character they show every day within our academy environment. The continued support from the professional side of Phoenix Rising FC is vital, it reinforces a clear pathway and shows our players that if they earn it, the door is always open. This is exactly what a true player-first development model should look like.
— Andy Chapman, Academy Director, Phoenix Rising FC
Last year saw several of our Academy players also participate in the team’s preseason, with several of our youth players making their professional debuts against Major League Soccer sides, gaining valuable experience.
