Fort Wayne Football Club announced today the addition of 25-year-old defender Aleksandar Vukovic, received through a loan from USL Championship-side Phoenix Rising FC.
The transaction is pending league and federation approval. It was completed before Monday’s roster-freeze deadline in USL League One.
“I’m really excited to join Fort Wayne FC,” Vukovic said. “It’s an amazing project and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. The guys play with a lot of passion and sacrifice, and I think my playing style will fit really well there.”
A native of Nova Pazova, Serbia, Vukovic played 13 matches this season with Phoenix Rising, across all competitions, and had one goal and one assist. That included one assist in 11 USL Championship matches.
He signed a multi-year contract with Phoenix Rising on Jan. 21 and will remain with Fort Wayne FC for the remainder of the USL League One season.
“Vuko is a commanding presence on the field and excels in the penalty box, both as an attacker and as a defender,” Fort Wayne FC head coach Mike Avery said. “His ability on the ball fits with our identity, and he’s hungry to come here during a busy stretch of important matches and help us achieve our goals for the season.”
Fort Wayne FC next plays Saturday at Greenville Triumph SC. For the first time ever, Fort Wayne FC will hold a watch party at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium. Fans are encouraged to come to 6411 Bass Road to watch the ESPN+ broadcast of the 7 p.m. match. There will be no charge for admission or parking and limited concessions will be open.
Vukovic joins a Fort Wayne FC (9-6-8) roster that has won 2 of 3 matches and is in eighth place on the 17-team USL League One table. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason. There are nine matches remaining, starting with Greenville (6-12-5). Fort Wayne FC won the first meeting between the clubs, July 18, at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium.
Vukovic had a decorated college career that included helping Marshall to the 2024 NCAA Division I championship match, where it lost to Vermont. He completed that season with one goal and one assist in 21 matches.
He was selected 89th overall by Real Salt Lake in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, but he returned to college soccer to play a graduate season at Duke. With the Blue Devils, he started and played in 14 matches
Vukovic played at UC Riverside from 2022 to 2023 and appeared in 31 matches, earning 2022 First Team Big West honors. He played at LSU Eunice in 2021, starting 17 of 18 matches.
Vukovic first moved to the U.S. at age 20 to play college soccer.
On Sept. 19, Fort Wayne FC hosts FC Naples. It’ll be mascot Friendly the Goalrilla’s birthday bash.
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 plays home matches at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, which opened May 2, 2026, and is a soccer-specific venue. 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.