Leo Afsonso signs for Rhode Island FC

Rhode Island FC announced the signing of forward Leo Afonso for the 2026 season, adding a 24-year-old attacker whose career has already passed through several of the most demanding environments in the American game.

Afonso arrives in Pawtucket after a professional start defined by short stays and changing roles. Since turning pro, he has moved between first teams and reserve sides, most often in short bursts of playing time. Which has demanded quick adaptation to different tactical roles. This tends to result in quick flashes of productivity without the ability to build upon it.

Leo Afonso

There is a statistical case for Afonso that holds up beyond highlights. During the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, he averaged 1.11 goals per 90 minutes, placing him among the most efficient scorers in the league. More telling than the finishing was the volume behind it. He averaged more than four shots per 90, and nearly half of them tested the goalkeeper.

Born in São Paulo and raised in the United States, Afonso developed outside Brazil’s traditional academy system, coming through American youth environments and a four-year collegiate career at the University of Virginia. He turned professional in 2024 after being selected by Inter Miami CF, scoring in his first MLS start that spring before spending the next 18 months moving between first teams and reserve sides. The production appeared in flashes, but extended runs were harder to secure.

After the momentum of its inaugural season, Rhode Island struggled to recreate that attacking sharpness in 2025. They finished near the bottom of the league in both goals scored and expected goals. This is something they hope Afonso can help spark. His production suggests a player capable of generating attempts consistently, rather than relying on isolated moments.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island FC play at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, a 10,500-seat soccer-specific venue set along the Seekonk River.

Rhode Island FC is co-owned by Michael Parkhurst, Atlanta United’s first captain and a figure closely associated with internal standards and organizational culture. Former Atlanta players have passed through the roster before, and Afonso now joins a forward group that includes JJ Williams.

Williams is a central striker, operating primarily through the middle. Afonso, who played more frequently as a striker during his collegiate career at the University of Virginia, has been used more often in wide attacking roles at the professional level. The two occupy different spaces, a distinction that Rhode Island lacked at times last season while struggling to generate consistent chances.

Head coach and general manager Khano Smith on the signing.

“Leo is an exciting attacking player with an eye for goal who has been in very high-level environments the past two seasons. His experience at a young age will be invaluable as we build towards having another successful season in 2026.” Khano Smith

What Comes Next

After an uneven attacking season, the club adds a forward whose profile points toward shot volume and repeatable chance creation, rather than reliance on set pieces or isolated moments.

For Afonso, the move offers something his early professional career has rarely provided: a continuous run of games. A chance to play through stretches rather than snapshots. Whether that produces accumulation rather than flashes will be determined on the field, but the conditions are clearer now than they have been before.