In advance of the first ever match at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, Fort Wayne Football Club has bolstered its roster by adding midfielder Emerson Nieto, who signed a performance-based contract, and academy players Tyson Hagaman and Nico Burns.
Fort Wayne FC plays host to the Charlotte Independence at 7:30 p.m. today.
Nieto, 24, who hails from Fort Wayne and played one season at Bishop Dwenger High School, is the second player from Northeast Indiana on the roster, joining defender Reid Sproat.
“I’m incredibly proud to sign with Fort Wayne FC – it’s a dream come true for me as a local player,” Nieto said. “Growing up here, this community means everything to me, so to represent my hometown club is really special. I’m excited for this opportunity and to give everything for the badge.”
Nieto spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons playing collegiately for the Indiana Institute of Technology in downtown Fort Wayne. He appeared in 41 matches and totaled nine assists.
He and Fort Wayne FC assistant coach Keelan Barker, who was the Warriors’ head coach, helped the school to a 31-7-6 record, two Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament titles, back-to-back NAIA Tournaments, and the 2025 National Tournament Quarterfinals. Fort Wayne FC defender Tiago Dias was on the 2024 Indiana Tech team, too.
Nieto was a Second Team All-American in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2025, and he was First Team All-Conference in 2025 and 2024.
He played at Indiana University Indianapolis during 2023, when he assisted on three goals in 12 matches, and at Indiana University Bloomington from 2020 to 2022, assisting on two goals in seven matches.
Nieto played briefly with Fort Wayne FC in the pre-professional level of USL League Two in 2021.
As academy players, Hagaman and Burns signed special contracts that allow them to train and compete with a professional senior team while retaining their eligibility to play college soccer.
Hagaman, 19, is a defender who most recently played in Germany’s Landesliga for SV Gutenstetten from July to November 2025.
Born in Gambella, Ethiopia, he and his sister were adopted by a family in Cincinnati in 2014. He had an impressive youth career with the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy, the Kings Hammer FC academy team, and with Lakota West High School.
“I’m privileged to be able to call Fort Wayne FC my home and gain professional experience under this coaching staff,” Hagaman said. “We have a lot of amazing players and hopefully we can bring lots of joy, memories and meaningful moments to this club and its fans this season.”
Burns, 17, was an academy player for Lexington SC of USL Championship last season, after playing for the Major League Soccer’s FC Cincinnati academy from 2022 to 2025. The midfielder also has experience with Puerto Rico’s U-17 and U-15 National Teams.
“I’m blessed to start a new chapter here in Fort Wayne,” Burns said. “And I’m excited to give everything for the club and for the fans.”
Fort Wayne FC’s most recent USL League One match was a 1-0 victory at the Chattanooga Red Wolves on April 11. The team has since played a match in the Prinx Tires USL Cup, losing 3-1 to Louisville City FC, a team in the higher-level USL Championship division.
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 on May 2, 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.