Success Stories: Diego Garcia Finding Success in North Texas

April 29, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
El Paso Locomotive FC News Release

EL PASO, Texas – Memorable debuts seem to be common for 17-year-old Diego Garcia. On his 15th birthday, he made his first professional appearance with El Paso Locomotive FC in 2021. Fast forward to 2024 and Garcia is stepping onto the field for FC Dallas in a preseason match against Inter Miami CF alongside some of the game’s biggest stars, including Lionel Messi who is regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time.

“I was speechless for each of these debuts,” Garcia said. “Never in my life would I have imagined myself playing on the same field as Messi or being a professional player this early in my life.”

Since cementing himself as Locomotive’s youngest-ever player and the fourth youngest in USL Championship history in 2021, the El Paso Locomotive FC Academy alum is finding success in the early years of his professional soccer career.

In his first season at North Texas SC, the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate of Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas, Garcia went on to make 23 appearances, scoring three goals and assisting two along the way.

Yet, before all of this, Garcia was just a kid with a dream. Born in Denver, Garcia moved to Ciudad Juarez at a very young age and developed his love for the game in the Borderland. In search of competitive playing opportunities, Garcia would regularly cross the bridge between Juarez and El Paso to partake in matches all over the region to hone his playing skills.

When El Paso Locomotive FC announced the creation of its Academy, Garcia knew it was a chance for him to take the first steps toward his dream. He impressed the Academy staff with his technical ability and work rate and was invited to become a member of the inaugural Academy class in 2020. A regular starter for the Locomotive U-20 Academy side between 2020-22, Garcia’s potential caught the eyes of the first team coaching staff, and he was invited to train with the first team on several occasions.

“Locomotive saw something in me and introduced me to the world of professional soccer,” Garcia said. “It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, but the Locomotive coaching staff helped me develop my game and apply what I learn in training on the field.”

Garcia knew he had it in him to become a professional player, but he didn’t expect the opportunity to debut until later in his teens or early 20s. Yet, the day before his 15th birthday, Garcia reported to training and at the…