FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (January 14, 2026) – The New England Revolution today signed midfielder Cristiano Oliveira as the club's 16th Homegrown Player. The 17-year-old Somerville, Mass. resident is signed to a four-year MLS contract through December 2029, with an additional one-year club option.
Oliveira, the second Brazilian American to graduate from the Revolution Academy and ascend to the first team roster, has spent the last two seasons developing in MLS NEXT Pro with Revolution II. He has scored five goals with two assists over 34 regular season games for the second team. During the 2025 season, he recorded 24 appearances and 21 starts for Revolution II, and represented New England at the MLS NEXT All-Star Game in Austin, Texas, where he started and tallied a goal.
"Cristiano Oliveira is a hard-working young man from an incredible family, and his story is a shining example of what our Pro Player Pathway is all about," Sporting Director Curt Onalfo said. "Born in Cambridge and raised in Somerville, he has impressed at every level of our pyramid, from the academy to the second team, to his U.S. Open Cup experience last season. If he continues to commit himself to his craft, he is poised to have a bright future with the Revolution."
The six-foot midfielder earned his first senior-team experience during the Revolution's 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign. Oliveira scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute as a substitute in his first-team debut in the Round of 32 at Rhode Island FC, before starting the Round of 16 contest against Chicago Fire FC.
"It is exciting to have so many talented young players like Cristiano in in our squad, and it is always extra special when a player has this opportunity to represent his hometown club," Head Coach Marko Mitrović added. "We believe that he has a high ceiling and we are ready to invest all our resources to help him reach his full potential and become an impactful player for our team. We look forward to working with Cristiano."
Oliveira represents the United States at the youth international level, receiving call-ups at the U-17, U-16, and U-15 levels. With the Under-17s, he has scored one goal in three appearances. Before ascending to Revolution II, Oliveira, the son of Brazilian immigrants, led the Revolution Under-17s with 12 goals, along with two assists, in the 2023 MLS NEXT fall season. He signed his first professional contract with Revolution II in October 2024, at age 16.
The New England Revolution kicked off preseason on Tuesday in Bradenton, Fla. The team will play five preseason friendlies in the lead-up to the 2026 MLS Regular Season, which begins on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Nashville SC (8:30 p.m. ET). New England's home opener is slated for March 7 vs. Houston Dynamo FC (2:30 p.m. ET). Watch every Revolution and MLS match during the 2026 season on Apple TV.
TRANSACTION: New England Revolution sign midfielder Cristiano Oliveira as a Homegrown Player and signed him to a four-year MLS contract through December 2029, with an additional one-year club option, on Jan. 14, 2026.
#35 CRISTIANO OLIVEIRA
Full Name: Cristiano Paulo Santos Oliveira
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-0
Weight: 160
Date/Place of Birth: March 30, 2008 (Cambridge, Mass.)
Hometown: Somerville, Mass.
Nationality: United States / Brazil
Previous Club: Revolution II (MLS NEXT Pro)
How Acquired: Signed as a Homegrown Player on Jan. 14, 2026.
