San Jose Earthquakes sign midfielder Cruz Medina as homegrown player

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

The San Jose Earthquakes have signed highly-rated US youth international midfielder Cruz Medina as a homegrown player through the 2026 season with an option for 2027, the club announced Friday.

At 15 years and 252 days old, Medina becomes the third-youngest player in club history and the 15th youngest player in MLS history. He completed a training stint with Germany’s Bayern Munich in February and has already made two appearances for Earthquakes II in MLS NEXT Pro.

“Cruz is an incredibly talented young individual that we think very highly of, and we have a plan in place to maximize his potential here in San Jose,” Earthquakes general manager Chris Leitch said in a release. “I’d like to thank all of the coaches within the Quakes Academy as well as Cruz’s parents, Antonio and Laura, for developing him into the person and player he is today.”

With the US Under-17 national team, Medina has scored against Argentina and Portugal, shining in South American friendlies this past March and at the UEFA Development Tournament in May.

Medina, a South San Francisco native, joined San Jose’s youth program at age 12 after competing for BayCity and later the San Francisco Glens. For the Quakes Academy, he earned the Golden Ball at the 2021 MLS NEXT Cup as the competition’s top U-15 player. Earlier this spring, Medina was one of the top players at the 2022 Generation adidas Cup.

Medina is the 11th Quakes Academy product to sign with the first team and the third to do so in 2022.