Inter Miami's rising young midfielder and Key Biscayne native Benjamin Cremaschi was named to the U.S. Olympic men's soccer team on Monday.
At 19, Cremaschi is the youngest athlete on the 18-man roster confirmed for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Who is Benjamin Cremaschi?
Cremaschi’s journey as a professional soccer player began in 2021 when he joined the Inter Miami CF Academy and quickly rose to the top.
In 2022, he played a key role at the U-17 level, leading the team to the semi-finals of the Generation Adidas Cup and earning an MLS NEXT All-Star spot.
'Benja' becomes the fifth Academy graduate to be signed by the first team.
He made his first appearance for Inter Miami on February 25, 2023, and played a total of 28 games for the team that year, scoring two goals and adding four assists.
So far in 2024, he has made 14 appearances for Inter Miami, scoring three goals.
Sporting talent runs in the Cremaschi family, with his father, Pablo, an internationally recognised professional rugby player for Argentina.
When does the US men's soccer team play?
Olympic soccer is limited to players under the age of 23, with each team allowed to have up to three players over the age limit. All of the U.S. wild-card selections come from Major League Soccer.
The U.S. men's team is competing in Olympic soccer tournament for the first time since 2008 and is scheduled to begin training in Bordeaux on Tuesday.
They will open their group stage against hosts France on 24 July, before facing New Zealand on Saturday 27 July and Guinea on Tuesday 30 July.
The top two countries from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
