Orlando City signed midfielder Gustavo Caraballo as the club’s 17th Homegrown Player on March 14, inking the young Venezuelan OCSC Development Academy product to a professional contract through 2027 with a club option for 2028. He spent the bulk of the season with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro, becoming a regular contributor for the Young Lions when he wasn’t getting looks from the first team or flying off to play for his country’s youth national teams.

Let’s take a look back at Caraballo’s first season getting first-team minutes.

Statistical Breakdown

After appearing twice late in games during the 2024 season, Caraballo became an OCB regular in 2025, appearing 16 times (11 starts) and playing 999 minutes with the Young Lions, with whom he scored two goals and added four assists — mostly before his 17th birthday in August.

Caraballo made his debut with the first team on March 1 in Orlando City’s 4-2 home win over Toronto FC, becoming the club’s youngest player ever to see minutes in a competitive match at 16 years and 184 days old. The Valencia, Venezuela native made five appearances with the senior Lions (all off the bench) in MLS regular-season games, logging his first 13 minutes in the top flight. He helped see out games but did not record a goal contribution or a shot. He completed 16 of his 19 shots (84%), including two key passes and a successful cross (in two attempts) in that short amount of time, taking two corner kicks. Caraballo won his only aerial duel and committed one foul, drawing three on the opposition, and he was not booked. He did not appear in Orlando City’s playoff match in Chicago.

The attacking midfielder started and played all 90 minutes in his one U.S. Open Cup appearance, scoring a brace — his first two goals with Orlando City’s senior side — on May 7 in the Lions’ 5-0 road win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He scored goals on two of his three shot attempts (both of the shots he put on target), completed 30 of his 37 passes (81%), created two scoring chances, blocked a shot, and added a clearance. He committed three fouls and drew one on the Rowdies.

Caraballo made the bench for a few Leagues Cup matches but did not appear in the competition.

Best Game

Caraballo’s best match of the year was easily his performance in the Lions’ 5-0 destruction of Tampa Bay on May 7 in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. His stats from the match were already discussed in the section above, so there’s no need to rehash those, but his goals were critical in Orlando City seizing control of the game. The match was scoreless past the half-hour mark when Caraballo struck for the first of two goals in two minutes.

Rafa santos sent an entry ball for Martin Ojeda to run onto down the left channel. Ojeda sent a good, low centering pass just outside the six, where Caraballo ran onto it and blasted it into the net just under the crossbar to open the scoring in the 34th minute.

Just two minutes later, Caraballo completed his brace to help the Lions take control. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson took the ball from the Tampa defense, found space at the top of the area, and sent Caraballo down the right with a good diagonal ball. The Venezuelan slotted home to make it 2-0.

At just 16 years old, Caraballo came up big in a knockout match on the road for Orlando City. He looked like he belonged. He nearly added an assist in the 57th minute, sending a good cross to Ramiro Enrique in front, but the header was saved.

It was a standout match for the teenager, who showed glimpses of his upside.

2025 Final Grade

Because Caraballo fell short of the 450-minute threshold across all competitions (MLS regular season, playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup) to earn a fair grade, The Mane Land gives him an incomplete rating for 2025. However, the young midfielder was impressive, and put together the types of performances with the first team that he can build on next season at the ripe old age of 17.

2026 Outlook

Caraballo is one of the club’s most exciting young prospects. He will likely spend much of 2026 with Orlando City B, but he’s also likely to get more opportunities with the first team if he can continue to develop his game. He’ll need to work on being able to handle the physicality of MLS and improve off the ball both when his team has possession and when defending.

The future seems bright for a kid getting noticed by his national team program. He certainly turned heads with this strike at the 2025 MLS NEXT All-Star Game, where his goal helped the East team win 4-3.

If Caraballo’s development continues, he could become one of the most important prospects to come out of Orlando City’s academy.

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