NYCFC Signs Forward Zidane Yañez to Short-Term Agreement Amid Rising Trajectory

New York City FC officially announced today the signing of forward Zidane Yañez to a Short-Term Agreement, reinforcing the attacking options available to head coach Pascal Jansen in the midst of a congested calendar. The 17-year-old Chilean youth international joins the First Team from his current off-roster Homegrown status via a short-term call-up.

Yañez’s path to this opportunity has been both swift and significant. After joining the NYCFC Academy in 2021, he steadily climbed through the club’s developmental structure and was signed as the club’s 13th Homegrown player at the end of the 2023 season. Notably, he became the first center forward to earn a Homegrown First Team contract in club history, underscoring the confidence NYCFC has in his long-term potential.

The young striker has already tasted First Team action, having been invited to preseason camp in January, where he trained alongside the senior squad. This season, Yañez has made one appearance with New York City FC II, playing the full 90 minutes in his lone outing.

On the international stage, Yañez has made waves with the Chile U-17 national team, representing his country in the 2025 South American U-17 Championship earlier this month. Starting all six matches, he scored a crucial goal en route to helping Chile secure a fourth-place finish and qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.

His short-term signing comes at a pivotal time for NYCFC, as fixture congestion and squad rotation require fresh legs and new energy. Yañez brings a blend of technical quality, positional intelligence, and international experience—traits that could prove valuable whether off the bench or as a starting option.

This call-up is another step in a promising journey for Zidane Yañez, and further proof of NYCFC’s ongoing investment in its Academy and Homegrown pipeline. Fans will be eager to see how the young striker responds to this latest opportunity on the First Team stage.