North Charlotte Today

Nimfasha Berchimas, a 16-year-old player from the Charlotte FC Academy, made history by debuting in front of over 62,000 fans during Charlotte FC's 1-0 win over New York City FC in the 2024 MLS season opener. This achievement marked him as the first CLTFC Academy player to make an MLS appearance and the ninth youngest player in MLS history to do so.

The past six months have been transformative for Berchimas, who also became the youngest player to join a U-17 World Cup USYNT roster. Reflecting on his debut, Berchimas stated, “It feels really great. To finally accomplish what I wanted for a long time, so I’m just really happy to have been on the field.”

Head Coach Dean Smith demonstrated his confidence in young talent during preseason when he started Berchimas in their second match against San Jose Earthquakes at the Coachella Invitational. Smith continued this trend by debuting not only Berchimas but also two other young players, Iuri Tavares and João Pedro.

"If they're ready, it doesn't matter what age they are," Smith remarked. "If the young lads are ready, then I'll give them the opportunity. They're ready at the moment."