Inter Miami CF Academy duo Nicholas Almeida and Santiago Morales have been called up to the U.S. U-16 Men’s Youth National Team. The players will participate in a week-long domestic training camp at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif from Aug. 18 to 24 that will be led by U-15 MYNT head coach Tom Heinneman. The camp will take place concurrently with the U-17 MYNT camp in Chula Vista and the teams will scrimmage during their time in Southern California.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2007 are age-eligible for this U-16 MYNT cycle. The roster features 21 players born in 2007 and two born in 2008. All players called to the U-16 MYNT are also age-eligible for the U-17 MYNT and the upcoming 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship, set for Feb. 11-26 in Guatemala.
Morales has previously been called up to the U.S. U-15 MYNT on two occasions, both coming earlier this year. Almeida, meanwhile, will be featuring on the international stage for the first time since joining Inter Miami.
At the club level, Almeida and Morales recently helped guide the Inter Miami Academy U-15 team to a stellar season, becoming national champions by claiming the MLS NEXT Cup title. Morales, who scored the winner in the final of the tournament, was also named MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs MVP.
Almeida and Morales are among the many current and former Inter Miami CF Academy players to be called up to a national team. The list includes: Noah Allen (U.S. U-20 MYNT), Edison Azcona (Dominican Republic senior and youth national teams), Israel Boatwright (Dominican Republic U-20 national team), Bryan Destin (Haiti U-20 national team), Dairon Reyes (Cuba senior and youth national teams), Benjamin Cremaschi (U.S. U-19 MYNT), Tyler Austin, Justin Ellis, Felipe Valencia (U.S. U-15 MYNT), Ezequiel Abadia-Reda, Logan Batiste and Tyler Hall (U.S. U-17 MYNT), Khobi Thomas (Jamaica U-20 national team), among others.
