Inter Miami signs first Homegrown player

by Travis Clark

December 18, 2020

Fresh off a first MLS season, Inter Miami CF signed their first Homegrown player this week.

Felipe Valencia, a 15-year-old native of Homestead, Florida, earned that distinction and will be added to the roster for the 2021 campaign.

“Being the first Inter Miami Academy player signed to the First Team is a huge honor,” Valencia told intermiamicf.com. “First of all, it’s a sign that I have to keep working hard, but it shows that the hard work I’ve put in has borne some fruit.”

An example to others.

We sit down with Felipe Valencia, and #InterMiamiCF Director of Player Development @dpowell6 to discuss the momentous occasion for club and player. pic.twitter.com/T8im2XnPdZ
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) December 18, 2020

Inter Miami launched their academy in 2019, with Valencia joining the first year for the 2019-20 season. Previously, he had played for Kendall SC and Plantation FC in the Development Academy. At the DA level, he made 87 appearances, scoring 49 goals dating back to the 2016-17 season.

This year, Valencia saw minutes for Inter Miami CF's USL League One team, Fort Lauderdale CF. He scored three goals, becoming the youngest goal-scorer at the USL level, making 12 appearances, including nine starts.

No. 35 in the 2023 Boys IMG Academy Top 150 player rankings, he was called into U.S. U15 BNT camp earlier in the year, and is eligible for the 2021 U.S. Under-17 MNT.