Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union II

Philadelphia Union II announced Thursday morning that the club has signed Union Academy midfielder Abdoulaye Diop to an MLS NEXT Pro contract. 

Diop is the 12th Union Academy player to sign an MLS NEXT Pro contract and the first 2010-born player to sign for Union II. He made his professional debut on May 13th, 2026, against New England Revolution II and accumulated 336 minutes in 4 starts and 9 total appearances in NEXT Pro play this season. Diop has also made five appearances with the United States U-16 National Team. 

He is a highly rated youth international prospect who can play both attacking and defensive midfield. He played primarily in defensive midfield for Union II this year, but earlier in the year was a clinical threat on the wing at the academy level.

He is an intelligent player for his age, a technical playmaker with the ball at his feet, and can score from distance when he finds an opportunity. Standing at an impressive 6’2″ already, Diop is a strong defender and aerial challenger, and he will only become more physically imposing with time. 

At the Academy level, during the 2025-26 MLS NEXT season, Diop recorded six goals, two assists, and five secondary assists in 40 Academy appearances. Diop was selected to the 2026 MLS NEXT All-Star Game and named to the Generation Adidas Cup Rising XI and U-16 Best XI. He was also a member of the Union Academy U-15 squad that won the 2025 MLS NEXT Cup.

He is early on in his engine-building process and will spend the 2027 sprint season acclimating to the level of play and working towards playing consistent full 90s, but will be an exciting prospect to look forward to as he continues to receive opportunities with Union II and begins to assert himself in NEXT Pro matches.