Sporting KC Sign 15-Year-Old Zamir Loyo Reynaga

Sporting Kansas City announced that the club has signed Academy midfielder Zamir Loyo Reynaga to a contract with Sporting KC II and the Sporting KC first team.  The 15-year-old will initially be on Sporting KC II with an MLS NEXT Pro contract for 2026. Loyo Reynaga will then move up to the first team as a Homegrown Player at the start of 2027 on an MLS contract through the 2030-2031 season with a club option for the 2031-2032 season.

“We are delighted that Zamir has committed to becoming a professional player at this young age,” President of Soccer Operations & General Manager David Lee said via press release. “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 – debuting with SKC II and playing regularly for the U-18s.”

Loyo Reynaga has played all over the field with the Academy, but Sporting KC sees him primarily as an attacking midfielder as he progresses. “Zamir is a left-footed attacking midfielder with excellent technical ability and high game intelligence,” David Lee stated. “He experienced our first-team environment and adapted well to the demands during preseason. Zamir is an example of the tremendous work happening in our Academy, from identifying talent to developing players and young men. The Academy continues to serve a crucial role in our organization, and developing players capable of playing in front of our fans is critical to our success.”

Note: It is not uncommon for Sporting KC to sign players to hybrid contracts. A few players have signed and went to SKC II and then to the first team with a Homegrown status. It is the first time they announced it.

The Youngest for SKC
Loyo Reynaga, who just turned 15 in January,  spent the first leg of Sporting KC’s 2026 preseason in Florida with the first team. At the end of the 2025 MLS Next Pro season, he became the youngest player in club history to represent SKC II. He came off the bench against Ventura County FC on Sept. 28, 2025. He was just 14 years and 251 days, younger than both Ian James and Gianluca Busio in their first appearances. He is also the sixth youngest player to appear in MLS NEXT Pro all-time. SKC II interim coach replied when asked about him,  “He didn’t look out of place by any means.” Opara praised him for how good he looked in his appearance with more mature players.

Youngest players to make SKC II debut

1. Zamir Loyo Reynaga – 14 years and 251 days
2. Ian James – 15 years and 285 days
3. Gianluca Busio – 15 years and 311 days

Loyo Reynaga was a standout for the Sporting KC Academy since he joined in 2023.  He made his first appearance with the U-14s at the Cronos Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico that December and then followed that up when he helped the U-14s lift the 2024 Easter International Cup in Orlando, Florida, and finish second at the annual Patterson Cup.

He has consistently played up with older age groups and looked good doing it. The talented midfielder played with the U-16s during the 2024-25 MLS NEXT season, competing at the 2025 Generation adidas Cup and MLS NEXT FLEX in the spring of 2025, before joining the U-15s for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs in June. Then at the beginning of the 2025-26 MLS NEXT season, Loyo Reynaga began competing with the U-18s. He also trained with Sporting KC II and the first team.

The newest addition to Sporting KC’s professional ranks has represented both the United States and Mexico at the youth level. He has received multiple call-ups to U.S. Soccer Youth teams but also was in the Mexico U-15 camp in July. He has most recently been called up to the U.S. U-15 National Team for a domestic training camp in September 2025 and is set to rejoin the squad for a training camp in Cyprus later this month.

Multiple clubs in Mexico were interested in signing Loyo Reynaga as well.

Zamir Loyo Reynaga vs Ventura Co | Credit: Thad Bell

Have patience

Loyo Reynaga has a tremendous upside and could be one of the best, maybe the best SKC Academy products and Homegrowns for the club. He is just 15 and will have to go through the pathway, and that will likely involve some ups and downs. He already has the size at six feet tall and 170 lbs, but will need to continue to test himself against and learn from older players at higher speeds.

“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.” david Lee added. “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.”

Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs midfielder Zamir Loyo Reynaga to a contract with SKC II and the first team, spending the 2026 season under an MLS NEXT Pro contract with SKC II before elevating to the Sporting KC first team as a Homegrown Player at the start of 2027 on an MLS contract through the 2030-2031 season with a club option for the 2031-2032 season.

VITALS
Zamir Loyo Reynaga (zuh-MEER low-yo RAY-nah-gah)
Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 1/20/2011 (15 years old)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 170 lbs.
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Birthplace: Las Vegas, NV
Citizenship: USA, Mexico