Atlanta United announced the signing of Santiago Pita to a Homegrown contract for the 2026 MLS season, with club options through 2029, on Dec. 9 2025. The midfielder signed from the club’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate and was a member of the U-18 Academy team during the 2024-25 MLS NEXT season.
With Atlanta United 2, Pita started 10 of his 12 games played after becoming a regular starter in the second half of the MLS NEXT Pro season. The 18-year-old scored twice and added two assists in 2025. With the U-18 Academy team in the 2024-25 MLS NEXT season, Pita totaled 1,857 minutes while scoring four goals and adding four assists. In the Generation adidas Cup, the midfielder scored once and assisted once to help the team finish in the final four of the tournament. Prior to arriving in Atlanta, Pita played for Weston FC in Weston, Fla.
Pita is internationally eligible for the United States, Venezuela and Portugal, and has represented the U.S. and Venezuela on the youth level. With the U.S. U-18 National Team, Pita scored in the final of the UEFA Friendship Cup this past June, where he won the tournament alongside First Team teammates Dominik Chong Qui and Kaiden Moore. Since becoming eligible for the U.S. U-19 National Team, the Miami-native has been called up once in the 2025 November FIFA Window. With La Vinotinto, Pita represented the U-20 Youth National Team once in the 2025 July FIFA Window and has scored once in three appearances.
