Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed Sporting Kansas City Academy defender Leo Christiano to an MLS NEXT Pro amateur contract.
MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts are on a single-game basis, preserving Christiano's NCAA eligibility. He will be available for selection Friday for Sporting KC II's match against Houston Dynamo 2 at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas.
Christiano, a native of Buffalo, New York, joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2019 and has represented Sporting at the U-12 through U-19 levels. The 17-year-old left back can also play on the wing, having scored numerous goals during his time in Kansas City. Christiano was notably a member of the U-14 Sporting side that won the 2021 US Youth Futsal National Championship and subsequently helped the U-15s reach the 2021-22 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs.
The versatile player made his professional debut on March 26, 2023, featuring in Sporting KC II's regular season opener at Colorado Rapids 2 as a second-half substitute, nearly scoring late in the match. Christiano has played with the U-17s for most of the last two seasons, competing at both the 2023 and 2024 Generation Adidas Cup, helping his team get into the knockouts at both iterations of the cup.
Sporting KC II hosts Houston Dynamo 2 at Rock Chalk Park on Friday night at 6 p.m. CT. Tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com and the match can be streamed for free at MLSNEXTPro.com or on the MLS YouTube page.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II signs defender Leo Christiano MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts.
VITALS
Leo Christiano
Position: Defender
Birthdate: 3/13/2007 (17 years old)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 166 lbs.
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
