Rhode Island FC has started its offseason roster signings with the addition of 24-year-old forward Leo Afonso, a free agent most recently from Atlanta United in Major League Soccer, who will be looking to make his mark in the USL Championship.
“Leo is an exciting attacking player with an eye for goal who has been in very high-level environments the past two seasons,” said Rhode Island FC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith. “His experience at a young age will be invaluable as we build towards having another successful season in 2026.”
Afonso, a Brazilian-born attacker who grew up in the United States after moving from São Paulo, began his soccer journey in Florida, where he played for Boca United and later the Philadelphia Union academy.
He then carried his scoring instincts into college soccer at the University of Virginia, where he was a consistent offensive threat. Across 59 appearances with the Cavaliers, Afonso scored 22 goals and provided eight assists,
Selected 32nd overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft by Inter Miami, he first signed with the club’s MLS NEXT Pro side before earning a first-team contract. In 2024, Afonso netted two goals and one assist across 11 appearances with the senior team, helping Miami secure its first MLS Supporters Shield alongside Lionel Messi.
Afonso is most remembered for his dramatic last-minute goal against the Philadelphia Union from a 9-man Inter Miami FC squad that earned him MLS Team of the Matchday honors.
After playing only a handful of games with Miami in 2025, Afonso was traded to Atlanta United in July for an international roster slot and conditional General Allocation Money. He continued to ply his trade in MLS, albeit mostly as a rotational option. He finished the 2025 season with 8 appearances across 192 minutes.
For RIFC, the signing signals a commitment to augment the front line after having scored the fourth fewest goals in the USL Championship last season.
Afonso, historically an inverted left winger, brings a technical, high-mobility play style that thrives on combination play, smart movement, and pressing work rate. He isn’t a pure target striker or a traditional wide dribbler. Instead, he excels in tight spaces, linking with teammates, making diagonal runs, and arriving in scoring positions late. His first touch and composure help him function as a connector in the final third, and his defensive effort makes him useful in systems that press from the front.
With several options on the left attack, including Jojea Kwizera, Noah Fuson, and Dwayne Atkinson, the right-footed winger could be the missing piece of the attack, bolstering chance creation on the right side should Smith continue playing in his current system.
Even if Afonso isn’t deployed as a winger, but instead as a forward, his presence will be welcomed competition for strikers JJ Williams and Albert Dikwa as both players have suffered injury setbacks and drops in form during their time with RIFC. Beyond that, Afonso could be a lethal secondary scorer as he’s been shown to thrive in possession-oriented or hybrid attacking tactics where interchange and timing matter.
At 24, Afonso enters what could be the most important season of his pro career despite having already contributed to a MLS Supporter’s Shield and a MLS Cup. The question will be if he can use this as a platform to solidify his offensive credentials and become a consistent goal threat in the USL Championship. If he can translate his flashes of MLS quality to regular scoring and creativity, Rhode Island fans could see a breakout campaign that elevates both club and player ambitions.
Well written. Very impressive analysis of the player's skills