Forward Madison FC has signed 17-year-old midfielder Julio Benitez to a season-long loan deal from Real Salt Lake, pending league and federation approval. The 5-foot-8 Arizona native heads to Madison having most recently played for Real Salt Lake in the MLS Next Pro.
“Julio is a young, exciting player who’s hungry to improve his game and prove himself,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said.
Benitez kicked off his club career with the Real Salt Lake academy in 2019. The midfielder spent two seasons with the academy, where he logged four goals in 17 appearances. At the age of 16, Benitez joined Salt Lake’s USL Championship team, the Real Monarchs. With the Monarchs, Benitez made nine appearances and saw just over 390 minutes in one season. During that time, Benitez made two appearances with the U15 U.S. Men’s National Team against Russia and Poland as part of the U15 UEFA Development Tournament.
In 2022, Benitez reached a homegrown player deal with Real Salt Lake. Benitez made two appearances in the MLS Next Pro division before ultimately deciding to sign with Forward Madison FC for the 2023 season.
