Kimbrough, 13, makes American soccer history after signing with Sacramento

Da’vian Kimbrough is a name to remember

The youth movement in U.S. soccer is not slowing down.

Da’vian Kimbrough, aged 13 years, 5 months and 13 days, signed with Sacramento Republic of the USL Championship on Tuesday, making him the youngest person to agree to a professional contract in this country’s soccer history.

The previous record holder is believed to be Maximo Carrizo, who signed a professional deal with NYCFC on his 14th birthday in 2022. It is believed that Kimbrough is the youngest player to sign a contract in any major U.S. team sport.

“Da’vian’s journey with Republic FC is just beginning. He is a remarkable talent who has committed to his dream of becoming an elite player, from competing with players in older age groups and thriving at top competitions, to stepping on to the first team training grounds,” Sacramento general manager Todd Dunivant said in a press release. “We are honored that the Kimbrough family and Da’vian have chosen Republic FC to support his professional pathway, and we look forward to taking the next steps together.”

According to the club, Kimbrough has trained with the first team in the past, and will be placed on a “mixed training regimen” that will see him work with both the Republic senior squad as well as academy teams. Sacramento has also crafted a plan with an education partner to allow Kimbrough to continue with school while he takes these first steps as a professional player.

Kimbrough has yet to appear for a U.S. youth national team, though he did participate in a U.S. Soccer youth national team identification camp in October 2022. The clock may be ticking already, as Kimbrough is eligible for both the U.S. and Mexico.

Per Sacramento, Kimbrough boosted his profile at the Bassevelde U13 Cup, a notable Belgian youth event featuring Under-13 sides from traditional European powers like Benfica and Juventus. Kimbrough, playing as a guest for the New York Red Bulls, ended up as the tournament’s MVP after scoring six goals.

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