LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas Lights FC announced on Friday the club had signed forward Ben Mines to a multi-year contract through the 2027 USL Championship season with a club option for the 2028 campaign. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

The American winger registered 14 goal contributions across 34 appearances in all competitions for Loudoun United FC in 2025, including three goals and seven assists in USL Championship play, helping the team to its first appearance in the USL Championship Playoffs and a trip to the knockout stage of the USL Cup.

“We’re looking forward to adding Ben to our attacking corps at the Lights," said Lights Sporting Director Gianleonardo Neglia. "He proved throughout 2025 that he is a starting-caliber winger in this league who brings quality in both the attacking and defensive phases of the game. His development in the New York Red Bulls system makes his style of play very conducive to Head Coach Devin Rensing’s system, and we believe that he can continue to take steps forward as a young player here in Vegas.”

A product of the New York Red Bulls academy, Mines made 51 appearances and recorded three goals and five assists with New York Red Bulls II during the reserve side’s stint in the USL Championship. He debuted as a 16-year-old in 2016 for the club’s title-winning side and continued racking up professional experience through the 2020 season.

Mines made his Major League Soccer debut for the Red Bulls in the first game of the 2018 season, scoring the opening goal in a 4-0 win while going the full 90 minutes. He later made five more appearances for the Red Bulls in MLS during the 2020 season, grabbing an assist against the New England Revolution and a goal against Inter Miami FC.

The 25-year-old joined FC Cincinnati ahead of the 2021 MLS season, and subsequently headed to Orange County SC on loan in August that year where he made 11 appearances across the final 14 games. Mines scored consecutive game-winners in 1-0 wins over Phoenix Rising and Oakland Roots late in the season to secure Orange County’s playoff qualification, where they went on to win the club’s first USL Championship title.

The following season, the young winger was sent on a season-long loan to Colorado Switchbacks FC. He started the first three games and scored one goal before injury cut his 2022 season short.

Mines signed permanently in the USL Championship with Miami FC in 2023, making 27 appearances before heading to Indy Eleven via transfer alongside recently added Lights defender Benjamin Ofeimu. In Indianapolis, Mines registered 25 appearances to help the Boys in Blue to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. He then joined Loudoun for the 2025 season, where he had a breakout season with four goals and 10 assists across all competitions to take the Virginian team to the playoffs.