Fort Wayne Football Club, which is preparing for its first season in professional soccer, has added defender Juan Solís to the roster. Solís, 21, appeared in 22 matches last season for Real Santander, a second-division professional club based in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
“I’m very excited about this new challenge,” Solís said. “I hope to adapt quickly in the best way possible, so I can give my best performance quickly. See you all soon. Go Fort Wayne!”
Fort Wayne FC will open its first season in USL League One on March 7 against FC Naples in Naples, Florida, the first of five straight road matches before the first ever match at new Fort Wayne FC Park on May 2.
Season tickets are on sale now.
The addition of Solís brings the Fort Wayne FC roster to 14 players, including Javier Armas, Ryan Becher, Tiago Dias, Jeremy Garay, Taig Healy, Anthony Hernandez, JP Jordan, James Musa, Michael Rempel, Lilian Ricol, Bernd Schipmann, Jayden Smith and Reid Sproat.
They will have an opportunity to play in a scrimmage Saturday against Bethel University that will be closed to spectators and the media. It will be Fort Wayne FC’s second preseason scrimmage; it played FC Cincinnati 2 last Saturday in Ohio.
In addition to Solís’ play with Real Santander, he also has professional experience with CD Real Cartagena.
“Fort Wayne Football Club will be a premier destination for talented young players worldwide,” Fort Wayne FC head coach Mike Avery said. “That is part of the DNA of this club, and a player like Juan Solís is a great example of us backing that intent. Juan is a promising young center back with a tremendous amount of upside.”
Solís, 6-foot-8, scored two goals last season for Real Santander, but impressed with his defensive acumen. He’s spent time with the Colombian U-18 National Team.
“Juan’s height allows him to be a force in the air,” Avery said, “and he is also a good player with the ball at his feet. The second division of Colombian soccer is a competitive league known for developing young players, and Juan has shown well in this intense and meaningful environment.
“Juan has also had experience in the Colombian youth national team program, specifically with the U-18 squad, further indication that this is a player with a bright future. Most importantly, Juan is an impressive young man with a mature outlook on this opportunity. We are excited to welcome him to Fort Wayne.”
Fort Wayne Football Club roster
Javier Armas, midfielder, 26 years old
Ryan Becher, midfielder, 24 years old
Tiago Dias, defender, 24 years old
Jeremy Garay, midfielder, 22 years old
Taig Healy, midfielder, 22 years old
Anthony Hernandez, defender, 22 years old
JP Jordan, midfielder, 23 years old
James Musa, midfielder, 33 years old
Michael Rempel, defender, 24 years old
Lilian Ricol, attacker, 23 years old
Bernd Schipmann, goalkeeper, 31 years old
Jayden Smith, defender, 19 years old
Juan Solís, defender, 21 years old
Reid Sproat, defender, 24 years old
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.