Forward Madison FC signs 16-year-old Celestino Vásquez to USL Academy contract

MADISON, Wis. – Forward Madison FC announced the signing of Celestino “Tino” Vásquez to a USL Academy contract, pending league and federation approval. The 16-year-old midfielder joins FMFC ahead of the 2023 season.

Vásquez grew up in Barrington, Ill., and joined the Chicago Fire Academy in 2020 after developing in the youth ranks of USL League Two side Chicago FC United from 2017-20. Vásquez quickly made a name for himself with the Fire Academy in MLS NEXT, earning looks from multiple national teams due to his triple citizenship (Greece, Mexico, United States).

In June 2020, Vásquez was called up to a virtual training camp with the Mexico U-15 youth national team. In May 2021, Vásquez was invited to attend a U.S. Soccer Youth National Team Regional Identification Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Most recently, in Oct. 2021, Vásquez was called up to the Mexico U-17 youth national team for training camp at the High-Performance Center in Mexico City.

In addition to competing at both the Allstate Sueño Alianza National Showcase and International Champions Cup (ICC) Futures Tournament in 2019, Vásquez recently trained overseas with Czech First League side AC Sparta Prague.

“Tino’s an exciting young player with a very high ceiling,” FMFC Head Coach Matt Glaeser said. “We’re looking forward to having him in our environment and having him grow and develop here.”

Through his USL Academy contract, Vásquez will be able to experience senior team play while retaining his amateur status and college eligibility. Vasquez announced his commitment to play collegiately at Virginia Tech on Feb. 27, 2023.