Earthquakes' Cruz Medina Named to MLS NEXT Pro Best XI
MLS NEXT Pro The Town FC

Earthquakes' Cruz Medina Named to MLS NEXT Pro Best XI

Published on October 16, 2025 under MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
The Town FC News Release


SAN JOSE, Calif. - MLS NEXT Pro announced today that Earthquakes midfielder Cruz Medina has been named to the Best XI after a breakthrough season with The Town FC.

Medina, 19, has been a standout player for the Quakes' MLS NEXT Pro team, The Town FC. This campaign, the San Francisco native tallied career highs in goals (7) and assists (5) en route to his first career nod on the league's Best XI. The Town FC, coming off back-to-back Pacific Division Championships, will face defending champions North Texas SC in the Western Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday at PayPal Park.

Overall, Medina has tallied 16 goal contributions (12g/7a) across 68 appearances (55 starts). One of only three Americans named to The Guardian's 2023 Top 60 Best Young Talents in the World list, he signed a first-team contract as a Homegrown Player with San Jose in June 2022.

Internationally, Medina is coming off participation in back-to-back camps with the U.S. U-20 National Team in September and early October. He was also called up to the U.S. U-19 team's training camp in Morocco in 2024 before playing in the Concacaf U-20 Championships, scoring a goal and notching an assist as the U.S. were finalists. The midfielder starred for the U-17 United States Men's Youth National Team in 2023, making the Concacaf U-17 Championship Best XI. He subsequently served as U.S. team captain in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup group stage in Indonesia. Mexico's Youth National Team has also showed interest in Medina, calling him up to their U-20 training camp which he attended in March 2024.

MLS NEXT Pro MVP presented by adidas, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year will be announced in the coming weeks.

2025 MLS NEXT PRO BEST XI

Goalkeeper (1):

Eldin Jakupović - Chattanooga FC

Honorable Mention: Pedro Cruz - Houston Dynamo 2

Defenders (3):

Gabriel Mikina - St Louis CITY2

Neil Pierre - Philadelphia Union II

Tate Robertson - Chattanooga FC

Honorable Mention: Jordan Knight - Huntsville City FC; Harbor Miller - Ventura County FC

Midfielders (4):

Nehuén Benedetti - New York Red Bulls II

Alan Carleton - Huntsville City FC

Marcos Dias - New England Revolution II

Cruz Medina - The Town FC

Honorable Mention: Miguel Perez - St Louis CITY2

Forwards (3):

Mykhi Joyner - St Louis CITY2

Sam Sarver - North Texas SC

Jason Shokalook - Chicago Fire FC II

Honorable Mention: Yu Tsukanome - Tacoma Defiance

Check out the The Town FC Statistics

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MLS NEXT Pro Stories from October 16, 2025


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