Francis Castillo
Salvadoran footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Francisco Antonio Castillo-Orellana (born 7 November 2005) is a Salvadoran footballer who plays as a midfielder for the academy of Cádiz, and the El Salvador national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francis Antonio Castillo-Orellana | ||
| Date of birth | 7 November 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Northampton, United States[1] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cádiz B | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022 | Allentown United | 2 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Esperança de Lagos | 0 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Philadelphia Union II | 1 | (0) |
| 2024– | Cádiz B | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024 | Nicaragua U20 | 8 | (7) |
| 2024– | El Salvador U20 | 3 | (3) |
| 2024– | El Salvador | 6 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:02, 19 September 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:02, 10 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Castillo began playing football at age six with Lehigh Valley United. As a youth, he also played for Allentown United FC and FC Delco in MLS Next before joining the academy of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.[2]
In April 2022, Castillo made two appearances and scored two goals for Allentown United in the NISA Nation.[3] At age sixteen, he joined C.F. Esperança de Lagos of the Campeonato de Portugal in August 2022.[4] He returned to the United States and joined Philadelphia Union II of MLS Next Pro for the 2023 season. He made one appearance for the club, coming on as a late substitute in a match against Chicago Fire FC II on 18 June.[5] . Later in 2023, Castillo was part of the International Soccer Academy team that integrated into the FC Schalke 04 youth system in Germany.[6] He had further experience in the country with trials at 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen.[2] Following a trial in 2024, the player was signed to the academy of Cádiz CF.[7] Despite signing in March, the player was cleared to play for the Spanish club in August 2024 following a lengthy visa process.[8]
International career
Castillo was born in Northampton, Pennsylvania, United States to parents from Nicaragua and El Salvador.[2] He opted to play for Nicaragua in 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying. He went on to become the top scorer in qualification, tallying five goals and two assists over four matches.[9]
Despite playing for Nicaragua in qualification, Castillo was part of the El Salvador under-20 squad for the 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. After missing most of the tournament through injury,[10] he returned and scored in the team's match against Canada to close out the Group stage.[11] In April 2024, he decided to represent El Salvador at the senior level.[12] He debuted for the nation on 6 June 2024 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Puerto Rico.[13][14]
Career statistics
International
- As of match played 10 October 2024.[13]
| El Salvador national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 1 |
- As of match played 10 September 2024
- El Salvador score listed first, score column indicates score after each Castillo goal[13]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 October 2024 | Arnos Vale Stadium, Arnos Vale, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League B | [15] |