Luca Lewis

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  1. Luca Lewis

Luca Robert Lewis (born 22 February 2001) is an American former professional footballer and entrepreneur. A dual citizen of the United States and Italy, he played as a goalkeeper for clubs including Torino FC, Cesena FC, and New York Red Bulls, and represented the United States under-20 national team.

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Following his football career, Lewis became the founder and creative director of the Adriatic Sound Festival, an international electronic music festival held annually in Fano, Italy, blending Roman heritage, architecture, and contemporary sound design.

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    1. Early life and youth career

Lewis was born in New York City, United States. He began playing soccer at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. In 2017, at the age of 16, he moved to Italy to join the Torino FC academy.

While developing within Torino’s youth system, Lewis trained alongside the senior Serie A team and competed in the Primavera division. His time in Italy earned him selection to the United States U-20 national team, where he represented the country at youth international level. [citation needed]

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    1. Club career
      1. Torino FC

Lewis joined the youth ranks of Torino FC, one of Italy’s oldest Serie A clubs, where he trained in a professional European environment and developed his technical and tactical foundation as a goalkeeper. [citation needed]

      1. New York Red Bulls

In 2020, Lewis returned to the United States, signing with New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer (MLS). He featured for both the senior team and New York Red Bulls II in the USL Championship, earning recognition for his command of the box and distribution. [citation needed]

      1. Cesena FC and Pontedera

In 2022, Lewis signed with Cesena FC, continuing his career in Italy. He later joined Pontedera, gaining additional experience within the Italian professional football system before deciding to transition from professional sports to entrepreneurship. [citation needed]

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    1. International career

Lewis represented the United States U-20 national team, reflecting his dual heritage and international upbringing across American and Italian football cultures. [citation needed]

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    1. Entrepreneurial career
      1. Adriatic Sound Festival

After retiring from professional football, Lewis founded the Adriatic Sound Festival (ASF), a large-scale electronic music and cultural event based in Fano, Italy, along the Adriatic coast.

The inaugural edition took place in June 2025 at the Fano Airport, transforming the airfield and surrounding Roman ruins into a multi-stage destination festival. Designed by Stufish Entertainment Architects, ASF merges Roman architectural symbolism with cutting-edge stage design, light shows, and electronic performances.

The festival features internationally renowned artists including RÜFÜS DU SOL, Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, Stephan Bodzin, Nicole Moudaber, and Armand Van Helden.

The 2026 edition, titled Chapter II: The Axis Mundi, expands to three days and is expected to welcome over 45,000 attendees. The event’s concept draws from the ancient Roman idea of the Axis Mundi—the spiritual center connecting heaven and earth.

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      1. Casa Piada

Lewis is also the founder of Casa Piada, a hospitality and lifestyle brand based in New York City, inspired by the Italian Riviera of the 1990s. The café specializes in authentic piadina from Pesaro, Italy, as well as Italian coffee, pastries, and curated experiences that merge Italian heritage with modern design. [citation needed]

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    1. Personal life

Lewis holds dual citizenship in the United States and Italy. Standing at 1.92 meters (6 ft 4 in), he is known for combining athletic discipline from his football career with creative direction in cultural and lifestyle ventures.

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    1. See also

- Adriatic Sound Festival - New York Red Bulls - Torino FC - Cesena FC

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    1. Categories

- 2001 births - Living people - American men’s soccer players - United States youth international soccer players - Major League Soccer players - New York Red Bulls players - Torino FC players - Cesena FC players - American expatriate sportspeople in Italy - People from New York City - Festival founders - Music industry executives

Career

Youth

Lewis began playing with the IMG Academy in Florida in 2015, [1] before moving to Italy to play with Serie A side Torino's academy. [2] [3]

New York Red Bulls II

Lewis returned to the United States on September 22, 2020, joining USL Championship side New York Red Bulls II. [4] He made his debut on September 26, 2020, starting in a 5–4 win over Philadelphia Union II. [5]

New York Red Bulls

On December 11, 2020, Lewis made the move to New York's MLS roster ahead of their 2021 season. [6] Following the 2021 season, New York declined their contract option on Lewis. [7]

Cesena and loan to Pontedera

On July 28, 2023, Lewis signed a contract with Italian Serie C club Cesena until June 30, 2024. [8]

On July 29, 2023, he was loaned to Pontedera. [9]

On 11 July 2024 he left Cesena by mutual consent. [10]

References

  1. "IMG Academy". imga.ussoccerda.com. US Soccer.
  2. Dedaj, Paulina (April 21, 2020). "Torino FC's Luca Lewis on how coronavirus has changed his daily routine". foxnews.com. Fox News.
  3. "Luca Lewis | New York Red Bulls". newyorkredbulls.com. New York Red Bulls. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  4. "New York Red Bulls II Sign Goalkeeper Luca Lewis". newyorkredbulls.com. New York Red Bulls. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  5. "LA Galaxy II vs. San Diego Loyal SC". uslchampionship.com. USL Championship. July 29, 2020.
  6. "New York Red Bulls Sign Goalkeeper Luca Lewis". newyorkredbulls.com (Press release). New York Red Bulls. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  7. "Who's in, who's out? 13 MLS clubs announce roster decisions following 2021 season | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  8. "LUCA LEWIS CONTRACT HAS BEEN COMPLETED" (Press release). Cesena. July 28, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  9. "SIANO TO CESENA, LEWIS GOES TO PONTEDERA" (Press release). Cesena. July 29, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  10. "RISOLUZIONE CONSENSUALE TRA IL CESENA FC E LEWIS" (Press release). Cesena. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.