Portuguese Youth International Joins the Fire as U22 Initiative Signing
CHICAGO (Jan. 14, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC today announced that the Club has acquired defender Leonardo Barroso from Sporting CP B via transfer. Barroso will occupy a U22 initiative slot and an international roster position. His contract with the Fire will run through the 2028 season with a Club option for 2029.
“We're very pleased to welcome Leonardo to the Fire. He’s coming from an elite environment at Sporting, where he worked closely with Filipe Celikkaya, who recently joined us as an assistant coach,” said Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “We believe that Leonardo has a very high ceiling, and we’re confident he will make an immediate impact. His skill set and mentality align well with our vision, and we’re excited to see how he contributes to the future success of the Club.”
Barroso, 19, joins Chicago after spending the past two seasons with Sporting CP B of Sporting Lisbon, playing in 27 matches. He was recently part of the Sporting CP B side that participated in the Premier League International Cup, logging 238 minutes across three matches against Atlético CP, Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion. The Portuguese youth international originally joined Sporting CP in 2018, when he transferred from the SL Benfica Academy to the Sporting CP Academy at the U-15 age level.
“I’m very happy to join the Chicago Fire,” said Barroso. “The Club has ambitious goals and a very clear plan for 2025 and beyond. I’m ready to contribute and give my best on and off the field to help us succeed.”
At the international level, Barroso has represented Portugal from the U-15 through the U-20 youth national teams. Most notably, Barroso represented Portugal at the 2022 UEFA Under-17 Euros, helping to guide the squad to the tournament semifinals. Barroso played every minute of the tournament for Portugal before falling 7-8 in penalty kicks to eventual champion France. He also represented the Portugal U-20 squad in five matches of the European Elite League, scoring the lone goal as a right back in the team’s 2-1 win against Poland on Sept. 9.
Transaction: Chicago Fire FC acquires defender Leonardo Barroso from Sporting CP B via transfer.
Name: Leonardo Barroso
Position: Defender
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 158 lbs.
Date of Birth: June 12, 2005
Hometown: Setúbal, Portugal
Birthplace: Setúbal, Portugal
Citizenship: Portugal
Last Club: Sporting CP
