Gianluca Busio

Gianluca Busio

Busio with Sporting Kansas City in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Gianluca Cristiano Busio [1]
Date of birth	(2002-05-28) May 28, 2002 (age 21)
Place of birth	Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.72 m) [2]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Venezia
Number	6
Youth career
2015	Greensboro United
2015–2016	North Carolina Fusion
2016–2017	Sporting Kansas City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2020	Swope Park Rangers [lower-alpha 1]	16	(1)
2018–2021	Sporting Kansas City	65	(8)
2021–	Venezia	88	(7)
International career‡
2016–2017	United States U15	8	(3)
2017–2019	United States U17	15	(6)
2020	United States U20	2	(0)
2023–	United States U23	6	(1)
2021–	United States	13	(1)
Medal record Representing   United States Winner CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 7, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 25, 2024

Gianluca Cristiano Busio (born May 28, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Serie B club Venezia and the United States national team.

Club career

Sporting Kansas City

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Busio joined the Sporting Kansas City academy in 2016 from North Carolina Fusion. ^[3]

On August 25, 2017, Busio signed a Homegrown Player contract with Sporting Kansas City, making him the youngest player to sign with a Major League Soccer club since Freddy Adu joined D.C. United in 2004. ^[4]

He made his professional debut on April 4, 2018, appearing for Sporting Kansas City's United Soccer League affiliate side, Swope Park Rangers, starting in a 1–0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks. ^[5] Busio went on to make his first Major League Soccer appearance for Sporting Kansas City on July 28 as a 77th-minute substitute in a 3–2 loss against FC Dallas. One week later, on August 4, Busio made his first league start for Sporting Kansas City against the Houston Dynamo, which saw three red cards, eight yellow cards, and 28 total fouls. ^[6] He provided his first career assist on a 74th-minute goal for teammate Diego Rubio, which proved to be the winner in a 1–0 match. Busio was the third-youngest player to start a match in Major League Soccer history. ^[7]

Venezia

On August 9, 2021, Busio moved to Serie A side Venezia for a club-record transfer fee. ^{[8] [9]} The fee was reported to be $6.5 million rising to $10.5 million in potential add-ons. ^{[10] [11]} He made his debut for the club on August 27 in a 0–3 defeat to Udinese. ^[12] He scored his first goal for the club, a last minute equalizer, in a 1–1 draw with Cagliari on October 1. ^[13]

International career

In October 2019, he was named to the United States squad for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil. ^[14] On July 11, 2021, Busio made his senior national team debut, substituting for Jackson Yueill in the 62nd minute of the U.S.'s CONCACAF Gold Cup group match against Haiti. Busio was included in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster, starting twice in the group stage. He scored his first senior national team goal against Trinidad and Tobago in his home state of North Carolina. ^[15] Busio then started and played the entire quarter-final match up versus Canada, playing a key role in the own-goal off of Scott Kennedy. ^[16]

On October 8, 2023, Busio was called up to the United States under-23 national team ahead of friendlies against Mexico and Japan. ^[17]

Personal life

Busio is of Italian descent through his Brescia-born father and holds Italian citizenship. His mother is African American. ^[18] He has an older sister, Ilaria, and an older brother, Matteo, who plays soccer at UNC-Charlotte and whom Gianluca lists as his biggest inspiration. ^[19]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played April 7, 2024 ^[20]

Club	Season	League			National cup [lower-alpha 2]		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Swope Park Rangers [lower-alpha 1]	2018	USL	10	0	—		—		—		10	0
	2019	USL	5	1	—		—		—		5	1
	2020	USL	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	Total		16	1	—		—		—		16	1
Sporting Kansas City	2018	MLS	7	1	1	0	—		—		8	1
	2019	MLS	22	3	1	0	3 [lower-alpha 3]	0	—		26	3
	2020	MLS	23	2	—		—		—		23	2
	2021	MLS	13	2	—		—		—		13	2
	Total		65	8	2	0	3	0	—		70	8
Venezia	2021–22	Serie A	29	1	0	0	—		—		29	1
	2022–23	Serie B	28	0	0	0	—		0	0	28	0
	2023–24	Serie B	31	6	1	0	—		—		32	6
	Total		88	7	1	0	—		0	0	89	7
Career total			169	16	3	0	3	0	0	0	175	16

1. Sporting KC II was formerly known as Swope Park Rangers until 2020
2. Includes U.S. Open Cup, Coppa Italia
3. Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League

International

As of match played July 12, 2023 ^[21]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
United States	2021	8	0
	2022	1	0
	2023	4	1
Total		13	1

Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Busio's goal.

List of international goals scored by Gianluca Busio

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	July 2, 2023	Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States	11	Trinidad and Tobago	5–0	6–0	2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Honors

United States

• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2021 ^[22]

Individual

• CONCACAF U-17 Championship Best XI: 2019

References

1. "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: USA" (PDF). FIFA. October 31, 2019. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2019.
2. "Midfielder Gianluca Busio". veneziafc.it. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
3. "Gianluca Busio Profile – Sporting Kansas City". ussoccerda.com. U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
4. "SKC's Busio second-youngest-player in MLS history". si.com. Sports Illustrated. August 25, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
5. "2018 - Swope Park Rangers vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC - uslsoccer.com". uslsoccer.com. United Soccer League. Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
6. "Houston Dynamo v Sporting KC Live Commentary & Result, 8/5/18, MLS". goal.com. Goal. August 5, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
7. Zeitlin, David (August 4, 2018). "Sporting KC's Gianluca Busio becomes 3rd-youngest player to start MLS game". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
8. City, Sporting Kansas. "Sporting KC Academy product Gianluca Busio joins Venezia FC in club-record transfer". Sporting Kansas City.
9. "Gianluca Busio joins Venezia FC". veneziafc.it. Venezia F.C. August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
10. Creditor, Avi (August 5, 2021). "Venezia Signs Second U.S. Midfielder After Busio Transfer". Sports Illustrated.
11. "Peter Vermes on why Gianluca Busio's transfer to Venezia made sense now | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
12. "Udinese 3–0 Venezia". Venezia F.C. August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
13. "Match Report: Cagliari 1–1 Venezia". Lega Serie A. October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
14. "Head Coach Raphael Wicky Names USA Roster for 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
15. "USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago: Match Report, Highlights, Stats". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
16. mlssoccer. "Matt Turner's PK shootout saves lift USA over Canada in Gold Cup quarterfinals | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
17. "Twenty-three Players Called to U.s. Olympic Men's Soccer Team Training Camp as Preparations for Paris 2024 Kick Off in Phoenix". ussoccer.com. October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
18. "Gianluca Busio, il futuro del calcio USA dall'animo italiano". mlssocceritalia.com (in Italian). MLS Soccer Italia. April 27, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
19. "Gianluca Busio | U.S. Soccer Official Website". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
20. "G. Busio profile". Soccerway. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
21. Gianluca Busio at National-Football-Teams.com
22. "United States beats Mexico in Gold Cup final on late Miles Robinson header". ESPN . August 1, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2023.

External links

• Gianluca Busio at Sporting Kansas City
• Gianluca Busio at Soccerway