Sporting Kansas City II midfielder Johann Ortiz has been called up to the El Salvador U-20 National Team for the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Puebla and Mexico City, Mexico.
The group is looking to earn qualification to both the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2027 and the 2028 Summer Olympics. Games will air on FS2, Fox Soccer Plus and FoxSports.com.
El Salvador was drawn into group A and will face the United States, Cuba and Haiti from Saturday, July 25 to Friday July 31. The top two teams from each of the three groups as well as the two best third place finishers will advance to the quarterfinals set for Aug. 4-5. The semifinals will take place on Aug. 7 and the final on Aug. 9.
El Salvador Group Stage Games
- El Salvador vs. Cuba | July 25, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. CT | Estadio Universitario BUAP, Puebla
- El Salvador vs. United States | July 28, 2026 | 9:00 p.m. CT | Estadio Universitario BUAP, Puebla
- El Salvador vs. Haiti | July 31, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. CT | Estadio Universitario BUAP, Puebla
The four teams that reach the semifinals of the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship will qualify for next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, while the tournament winner will also qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Ortiz, a product of the Sporting Kansas City Academy, signed his first professional contract with Sporting KC II in March after making 11 amateur appearances in 2024. The Sporting Arkansas alum scored two goals and added three assists in his first season with SKC II and went on to lead the team in assists in 2025.
The midfielder joined the SKC Academy in 2018, playing from the U-12 through the U-19 levels. He helped the U-19s capture the 2023 UPSL Oklahoma-Arkansas regular season title and appeared in three MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs in his time in the Academy. In 2024, Ortiz was a focal point of a midfield that earned trips to the GA Cup and MLS NEXT Cup Playoff Quarterfinals.
After inking his first pro deal, Ortiz started 12 of 26 appearances for SKC II in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro regular season. He scored once and paced the team in assists with four, playing over 1000 minutes on the season. This season Ortiz has started nine of 15 appearances, scoring twice and adding two assists.
Ortiz has been in Mexico with El Salvador for their preparation camps since July 14 and has already played in two friendlies against Mexican outfits Tlaxcala FC and CF Pachuca. They will play a final preparation match against Real Tlaxcala FC on Tuesday.
The SKC II midfielder will return to Kansas City at the conclusion of El Salvador's tournament run. He will not be available for selection for SKC II's next game, a home match against Houston Dynamo 2 on Friday, July 31. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT and tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com. Fans can also stream the match for free at MLSNEXTPro.com or on the OneFootball app.
