PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC announced on Wednesday it has signed defender Adrian Pelayo to a multi-year contract ahead of the 2026 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Pelayo joins Rising from Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer, where he appeared in 18 matches in 2025 for the club’s MLS NEXT Pro reserve team Whitecaps FC 2. The 19-year-old played a crucial role in helping WFC2 secure a spot in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro postseason, scoring the decisive penalty against Sporting Kansas City II on September 19 to help his club earn the point that secured the club’s place in the postseason.

“[Pelayo] is a young player with a lot of potential,” said Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah. “He’s a footballer who has good ability and we are looking forward to working with him to help the club achieve our objectives and his.”

A native of Marion, Ore., Pelayo previously competed for North Carolina FC in both USL League One and the USL Championship, while also spending time in 2024-2025 with Liga MX side CD Chivas Guadalajara, where he netted two goals across 20 appearances for the club’s U-19 and U-23 sides.

The defender is the second player to arrive having previously competed in the youth ranks for Chivas in the last six months, joining Daniel Flores. Their paths previously crossed on March 29, 2025, when both appeared in Chivas U-23’s match against Cruz Azul U-23s.

On the international stage, Pelayo represented Mexico at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, starting a match as Mexico’s U-17 Youth National Team made a run to the Round of 16. Pelayo (Mexico, United States, Argentina) joins Rising as one of five players on the current roster to have represented their nation in international competition.

“I am excited to join Rising and take the next step in my professional career,” said Pelayo. “Phoenix has a lot of history in North American soccer and is a place I believe I can grow both on and off the field. I look forward to contributing to the success of Rising going forward.”