How Sacramento Republic made American sports history with 13-year-old Da’vian Kimbrough
Sacramento Republic FC and its youngest player made American sports history Sunday night.
Da’Vian Kimbrough became the youngest American professional soccer player to appear in a competitive match at 13 years, seven months and 13 days old. He came on in the 87th minute of the team’s 2-0 victory over the Las Vegas Lights.
The record was previously held by Máximo Carizzo, who made his debut with a third-division team in 2022 for New York FC 2 of MLS NEXT pro at age 14.
Kimbrough is a Woodland native who has been in Sacramento’s youth academy for two years, scoring 61 goals over that time. He signed a professional contract to join the club in August and is considered one of the best players his age in the world. Kimbrough was named MVP of the 2023 Bassevelde U13 Cup in June, regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments for players of that age.
He’s been added to the team’s active roster in recent weeks as the club winds down its regular season and gears up for the playoffs. Republic FC currently sits atop the USL Western Conference table with 58 points, three points ahead of rival San Antonio FC with two games left in the regular season.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 1:59 PM.
