Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed forward and former MLS Homegrown Missael Rodriguez to a professional contract ahead of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season. Rodriguez joins Sporting KC II after making 60 MLS NEXT Pro regular season appearances since 2022.
Lee Tschantret, SKC II’s new head coach, now has 10 players signed to professional contracts entering the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign. Over the course of the season, SKC II will also call on SKC Academy standouts and MLS players loaned from Sporting KC’s first team.
Sporting KC II 2026 Roster (as of Thursday, Feb. 19)
- Goalkeepers (1):Â Jacob Molinaro
- Defenders (2): Alex Cunningham, Pierre Lurot
- Midfielders (5): Trevor Burns, Zamir Loyo Reynaga, Blaine Mabie, Gael Quintero, Johann Ortiz
- Forwards (1): Shane Donovan, Missael Rodriguez
Rodriguez was born in Chicago, Illinois and developed in the Chicago Fire’s Academy from 2017 until he signed a Homegrown Deal in Oct. 2021. The forward made his MLS debut on July 12, 2023 as a substitute in a 3-0 Fire win over CF Montreal. He made 40 appearances for Chicago Fire II, notching nine goals and an assist, before being loaned to USL League One side Union Omaha for the 2024 campaign.
As a member of the Owls, Rodriguez made 33 appearances across all competitions, including one against Sporting Kansas City in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. He tallied seven goals and four assists across the 33 appearances, bagging four goals in the USL Cup. The forward spent the 2025 season in MLS NEXT Pro with The Town FC, contributing seven goals and six assists in 21 regular season appearances and one goal in two playoff games.
Rodriguez will be with Sporting KC II as they begin the 2026 season on Saturday, Feb. 28 at St. Louis CITY2 before hosting Real Monarchs at Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village on Sunday, March 8. Tickets for SKC II home matches will be on sale at SeatGeek.com for just $10 at a later date.
MISSAEL RODRIGUEZ
Forward
Birthdate: 2/9/2003 (23)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hometown: Chicago, ILÂ
Citizenship: USA, Mexico
Instagram: @Missael\_rodriguez9
