The Revolution announced the signing of 17-year-old midfielder Cristiano Oliveira as a Homegrown Player on Wednesday morning in the latest development from the club’s increasingly prolific academy.
Oliveira, who was born in Cambridge and is a Somerville resident, signed a four-year MLS contract that includes a one-year club option. He is the 16th Homegrown Player in Revolution history.
A midfielder with an eye for goal, Oliveira played for Revolution II in the MLS Next Pro league for the last two seasons. He made 34 regular-season appearances in that time, scoring five times and adding two assists.
He was New England’s representative at the 2025 MLS Next All-Star Game, scoring a goal (for which he won a free steak from Revolution captain Carles Gil).
As promised, Carles Gil bought Cristiano Oliveira steak for scoring in the MLS NEXT All-Star match! 🤝🥩 pic.twitter.com/w3FVHtnKk2
— New England Revolution II (@NERevolution2) October 21, 2025
Oliveira also made his Revolution first-team debut in 2025, appearing as a substitute in a 2-1 win over Rhode Island FC during a Round of 32 matchup in the US Open Cup. In the 88th minute, Oliveira scored the winning goal.
Cristiano Oliveira pounces on the rebound to send @NERevolution to the round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/CSOtIH8wA4
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) May 8, 2025
The son of Brazilian immigrants, Oliveira is the latest in a line of recent local academy signings.
“Cristiano Oliveira is a hard-working young man from an incredible family, and his story is a shining example of what our Pro Player Pathway is all about,” Revolution sporting director Curt Onalfo said in statement. “Born in Cambridge and raised in Somerville, he has impressed at every level of our pyramid, from the academy to the second team, to his US Open Cup experience last season. If he continues to commit himself to his craft, he is poised to have a bright future with the Revolution.”
After Diego Fagundez became the Revolution’s first Homegrown Player signing in 2010 (an MLS-specific designation for both locally developed and academy players), New England made six more homegrown signings over the ensuing decade. The development has grown more rapidly in the last few years, however, as Oliveira is the eighth such signing since 2022.
The list of recent academy graduates includes Esmir Bajraktarević (now with European powerhouse PSV), Peyton Miller (a current Revolution starter), and Noel Buck (now with the San Jose Earthquakes).
Exactly what Oliveira can add to the Revolution first team in the short term remains to be seen, though the presence of new coach Marko Mitrović could be promising. Mitrović, in charge of an MLS team for the first time, was most recently the head coach of the United States U-20 men’s national team. His capacity to integrate young players into the first team could provide a path for Oliveira.
“It is exciting to have so many talented young players like Cristiano in our squad, and it is always extra special when a player has this opportunity to represent his hometown club,” Mitrović said in a statement. “We believe that he has a high ceiling and we are ready to invest all our resources to help him reach his full potential and become an impactful player for our team. We look forward to working with Cristiano.”
The Revolution are now immersed in preseason training in Florida, which began on Tuesday. The club begins the regular season in Nashville on Feb. 21.
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