Javier Armas, 'Elite-Level Passer,' Joins Fort Wayne Football Club After 2 Seasons in MLS Next Pro
USL1 Fort Wayne FC

Javier Armas, 'Elite-Level Passer,' Joins Fort Wayne Football Club After 2 Seasons in MLS Next Pro

Published on January 16, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Fort Wayne FC News Release


Javier Armas, a 26-year-old midfielder from A Coruña, Spain, was added to the Fort Wayne Football Club roster Friday.

"I'm very excited about joining Fort Wayne FC in this new project, and to meet my teammates, coaching staff, fans, and the community," Armas said. "I believe this is a very positive step in my career and I can't wait to get started and fight for this batch."

Armas' addition to the roster is pending league and federation approval.

"At Fort Wayne Football Club, we have worked hard to develop a recognizable playing identity, and a critical role in how we aspire to play is the defensive midfielder," head coach Mike Avery said. "For us, 'the 6' is one of the most important positions on the field, and we are very specific in the qualities we want that player to possess. Javier is a player we identified to fill the role, and we are very happy to welcome him, and his wife Gwenyth, to Fort Wayne."

Season tickets are on sale and fans can now select their seats at Fort Wayne FC Park, the privately funded, soccer-specific stadium being built at Bass Road and I-69. Fort Wayne FC's first home match of the season, the club's first in USL League One, will be May 2 against the Charlotte Independence.

Armas joins Tiago Dias, Reid Sproat, JP Jordan and Michael Rempel on the roster.

Armas spent the last two seasons with Atlanta United 2 of MLS Next Pro, accruing 10 goals and three assists in 53 matches. In 2024, when he had seven goals and two assists, he played every minute of every match for Atlanta United 2.

"Javier is an elite-level passer," Avery said. "As a team that prides itself on our possession ability to connect the game, Javier's passing is something that stood out to us right away. Javier also takes his defensive responsibilities quite seriously, which allows our fullbacks and other midfielders to be brave and take greater risk going forward because they know the team is organized in the rest defense phase. Javier also adds the unique quality for a deep midfielder of being a very dangerous finisher when goal-scoring chances come his way."

After spending his youth career with Deportivo La Coruña, Armas moved to the United States to attend Oregon State University, for which he played from 2019 to 2023.

He appeared in 77 matches throughout his college career - starting 71 of them - and finished with six goals and 10 assists. As a senior, he was selected First Team All-Pac 12, and he was selected to the United Soccer Coaches' All-American Third Team. Oregon State reached the national semifinals in 2023, too, before falling 1-0 to Notre Dame.

Armas was selected by Atlanta United in the second round of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.

"Javier's experience as an academy player with Deportivo de la Coruña in Spain, at the top end of college soccer with Oregon State, and most recently as a professional in MLS Next Pro with Atlanta United 2, gives us the steady and mature presence in the middle of the field that we need," Avery said.

Fort Wayne FC's first training camp in pro soccer opens Jan. 26.

Fort Wayne Football Club roster

Javier Armas, midfielder, 26 years old

Tiago Dias, defender, 24 years old

JP Jordan, midfielder, 22 years old

Michael Rempel, defender, 24 years old

Reid Sproat, defender, 24 years old

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United Soccer League One Stories from January 16, 2026


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