Austin FC II announced today that the Club has signed free agent midfielder Diego Abarca to its MLS NEXT Pro roster. Abarca, 19, joins ATXFC II on a deal through the remainder of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season with an option for the 2025 and 2026 seasons and another option for the 2027 and 2028 seasons
An El Paso native, Abarca came through the academy system at El Paso Locomotive FC. He made his professional debut with El Paso’s first team in March 2022 at age 16, becoming the youngest ever starter in the club’s history.
Abarca scored his first career goal in a match vs. Hartford Athletic on June 4, 2022, a strike which ranked #8 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays the following day and made him the youngest goal-scorer in club history.
Across the last three (3) seasons with Locomotive FC, Abarca totaled 16 USL Championship appearances and one (1) U.S. Open Cup appearance. In 2023 he played a key role in El Paso’s U-20 side earning its first-ever berth in the USL Academy League Finals.
