EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC announced on Wednesday it had signed midfielder Carl Sainté ahead of the 2026 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval and terms of the deal will not be disclosed per club policy.

Sainté arrives in El Paso having made 28 appearances for Phoenix Rising FC across all competitions in the 2025 campaign while on loan from FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. The 23-year-old won 59 duels at a 61.5 percent success rate across the USL Championship regular season and playoffs while also winning 19 tackles at a success rate of 63.3 percent. Sainté also logged 83 recoveries and 20 interceptions while completing 926 passes at a 90.9 percent success rate.

“Carl is a player that we have been monitoring for some time,” said Locomotive Technical Director Ray Saari. “He possesses a highly sought after midfield skillset in the USL Championship. We believe he can make a significant impact in our team this year as we look to build on our success from last season.”

Sainté previously featured in the USL Championship for New Mexico United, where he recorded six appearances across all competitions in 2022 before being acquired by North Texas SC of MLS NEXT Pro via transfer after a loan stint during the 2022 season. He was then moved onto a First Team contract with FC Dallas prior to the 2024 season and made 10 appearances across all competitions for the club prior to his loan to Phoenix.

Additionally, Sainté has recorded 24 appearances for the Haiti Men’s National Team since his debut in March 2022, and this past fall he helped Les Grenadiers advance to the FIFA World Cup, making three appearances in the final stage of Concacaf qualifying.