Charlotte FC's Homegrown Nimfasha Berchimas' breakout year will end with a bang as he has been nominated for U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year.
The 15-year-old gained national recognition when he became the youngest player to make the final U-17 World Cup roster for the USYNT since Freddy Adu two decades ago. However, his impact extended beyond mere inclusion. He played a pivotal role in leading the team to the knockout stages by scoring three goals, making him the leading scorer for his side, as well as elevating him to a tie for third place on the all-time American scoring charts at the tournament.
At the age of 15 years and 267 days, his contributions made him the fourth-youngest player to score for the U.S. at the U-17 World Cup. With two goals, he joined the elite group of players with a multi-goal game, becoming the second-youngest American player to achieve this feat in the tournament. Impressively, he fell just one goal short of matching Freddy Adu’s four-goal tally in Adu’s historic U-17 World Cup run.
Hailing from High Point, N.C., Nimfasha Berchimas secured his place in Charlotte FC's history as the team's second-ever Homegrown signing. A member of the Club's Academy from its early days, he made headlines by becoming the sixth-youngest player to ink an MLS contract at the age of 14 years and 268 days in November 2022. Shortly thereafter, he made his professional debut for CLTFC's MLS Next Pro Team, Crown Legacy FC, and continued to contribute throughout the season. Berchimas celebrated a significant milestone by scoring his first professional goal in a late-season triumph against New England Revolution II.
You can vote for Berchimas as U.S. Young Player of the Year here.