{{Short description|American soccer player (born 2003)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Use American English|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Danny Leyva | image = Danny Leyva NYCFC.Seattle.18.Oct.2025-044 (cropped).jpg | caption = Leyva with the Seattle Sounders in 2025 | full_name = Daniel Ulises Leyva<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifadata.com/documents/FU17WC/2019/pdf/FU17WC_2019_Squadlists.pdf |title=FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: United States |publisher=FIFA |page=24 |date=October 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227222540/https://www.fifadata.com/documents/FU17WC/2019/pdf/FU17WC_2019_Squadlists.pdf |archive-date=December 27, 2019}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|5|5}} | birth_place = Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}<ref name="FCWC 2022">{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce71/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022™: List of Players: Seattle Sounders FC |publisher=FIFA |page=6 |date=February 7, 2023 |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212205323/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce71/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> | position = Defensive midfielder | currentclub = Necaxa | clubnumber = 6 | youthyears1 = 2017–2019 | youthclubs1 = Seattle | years1 = 2018–2023 | clubs1 = Tacoma Defiance | caps1 = 40 | goals1 = 3 | years2 = 2019–2025 | clubs2 = Seattle | caps2 = 107 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2023 | clubs3 = → Colorado (loan) | caps3 = 19 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2026– | clubs4 = Necaxa | caps4 = 16 | goals4 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2018 | nationalteam1 = United States U16 | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | nationalyears2 = 2019 | nationalteam2 = United States U17 | nationalcaps2 = 10 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2021 | nationalteam3 = United States U20 | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | nationalyears4 = 2023– | nationalteam4 = United States U23 | nationalcaps4 = 5 | nationalgoals4 = 1 | medaltemplates = | club-update = March 15, 2025 | nationalteam-update = November 16, 2021 }} '''Daniel Ulises Leyva''' (born May 5, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Necaxa of Liga MX after starting his career with Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders.
==Club career== Leyva was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada; his father Ulises had played in the youth academy of Club América in Mexico City, but left the sport to pursue a career in civil engineering.<ref name="Times-Dream">{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Geoff |date=February 26, 2019 |title=Teenage dream: At age 15, Danny Leyva is already knocking on the Sounders' door |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sounders/teenage-dream-at-age-15-danny-leyva-is-already-knocking-on-the-sounders-door/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref> Leyva played for the Barcelona USA Academy in Las Vegas before joining the Seattle Sounders FC Academy at the age of 13. Leyva was placed on Seattle's under-15 team ahead of the 2017–18 season, but was later moved to the under-17 squad.<ref name="Standout">{{cite news |last=Mondello |first=Joseph |date=October 16, 2018 |title=Barcelona USA Academy |url=https://www.soundersfc.com/post/2018/10/16/sounders-academy-standout-danny-leyva-latest-signing-clubs-youth-movement |publisher=Seattle Sounders FC |accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hammond |first=Andrew |date=March 8, 2019 |title=Meet the Tacoma Defiance's unflappable Danny Leyva, who's all of 15 years old |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/article227134864.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://soun.ussoccerda.com/sam/teams/index.php?team=3948160&player=265761229|title=Seattle Sounders FC U-15|website=ussoccerda.com|publisher=U.S. Soccer Development Academy|accessdate=March 24, 2020|archive-date=October 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018201616/http://soun.ussoccerda.com/sam/teams/index.php?team=3948160&player=265761229|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Seattle Sounders=== He made his debut for the Sounders reserve team in the United Soccer League (USL) on September 29, 2018, during a 3–1 loss to San Antonio FC, becoming the second-youngest player in league history.<ref name="Standout"/><ref>https://www.uslsoccer.com/sanantoniofc-seattlesoundersfc2-971728 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Leyva signed a full USL contract with the team the following month and began training with the senior team during the 2019 preseason, appearing in friendlies against the Portland Timbers and Club Nacional.<ref name="Times-Dream"/> Leyva signed a homegrown contract with Seattle Sounders FC on April 9, 2019, becoming the youngest player in the team's history.<ref>{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Jayda |date=April 9, 2019 |title=Sounders contract signed, 15-year-old midfielder Danny Leyva eyes next goal: an MLS start |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sounders/sounders-contract-signed-15-year-old-midfielder-danny-leyva-eyes-next-goal-an-mls-start/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref> He made his first-team debut on June 5, 2019, as a late substitute during an away loss to the Montreal Impact, becoming the third-youngest player in the league's history.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Geoff |date=June 5, 2019 |title=Shorthanded Sounders cough up two late road goals, lose 2–1 to the Montreal Impact |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sounders/shorthanded-sounders-cough-up-two-late-road-goals-lose-2-1-to-the-montreal-impact/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 12, 2019}}</ref> Leyva played in 12 matches during the 2022 season and had two assists as a temporary replacement for injured midfielders João Paulo and Obed Vargas until they returned mid-season.<ref name="Times-Loan">{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Jayda |date=April 25, 2023 |title=In rare deal, Sounders loan Danny Leyva to Colorado Rapids |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sounders/in-rare-deal-sounders-loan-danny-leyva-to-colorado-rapids/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=April 25, 2023}}</ref>
====Loan to Colorado Rapids====
On April 24, 2023, the Sounders loaned Leyva to the Colorado for the rest of the season in exchange for a future MLS SuperDraft pick and $92,000 in general allocation money.<ref name="Times-Loan"/>
===Club Necaxa===
On December 8, 2025, Seattle Sounders FC announced that Leyva would be transferred immediately to Necaxa of Liga MX for an undisclosed fee.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 8, 2025 |title=Seattle Sounders transfer Danny Leyva to Club Necaxa |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/seattle-sounders-transfer-danny-leyva-to-club-necaxa |work=MLSsoccer.com |accessdate=December 8, 2025}}</ref>
==International career== In October 2019, Leyva was named to the United States squad for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/10/head-coach-raphael-wicky-names-usa-roster-for-2019-fifa-u17-world-cup-in-brazil|title=Head Coach Raphael Wicky Names USA Roster for 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil|website=www.ussoccer.com|language=en|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref>
Leyva, who has only played for U.S. youth national teams, is also eligible to be called up by Mexico.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFEN8bAI5JY&t=274|title=Interview: Danny Leyva on being named to the USMNT U-17 World Cup squad|website=Youtube.com|publisher=Seattle Sounders FC|date=October 11, 2019|accessdate=October 24, 2019}}</ref>
==Personal life== Born in the United States, Leyva is of Mexican descent.<ref name="Soy Fútbol 2020">{{cite web | title=América y Chivas sueñan con Carlos Vela, Chicharito Hernández y Jonathan Dos Santos; llegarían prestados | website=Soy Fútbol | date=August 13, 2020 | url=https://www.soyfutbol.com/ligas/America-y-Chivas-suenan-con-Carlos-Vela-Chicharito-Hernandez-y-Jonathan-Dos-Santos-llegarian-prestados-20200813-0012.html | language=es | access-date=March 7, 2023}}</ref>
==Career statistics== === Club === {{updated|match played October 7, 2023}}<ref>{{Soccerway|daniel-leyva/521458}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="7"|Tacoma Defiance |2018 |USL |1||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||1||0 |- |2019 |USL |14||1|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||14||1 |- |2020 |USL |1||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||1||0 |- |2021 |USL |6||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||6||0 |- |2022 |MLS Next Pro |9||1|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||9||1 |- |2024 |MLS Next Pro |5||1|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||5||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !36!!3!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!36!!3 |- |rowspan="8"|Seattle Sounders FC |2019 |MLS |6||0||1||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||7||0 |- |2020 |MLS |2||0|| colspan="2" |—||1{{efn|Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions League|name=Con}}||0|| colspan="2" |—||3||0 |- |2021 |MLS |24||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||24||0 |- |2022 |MLS |19||0||1||0||2{{efn|name=Con}}||0|| colspan="2" |—||22||0 |- |2023 |MLS |3||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||1{{efn|Appearance in FIFA Club World Cup|name=FCWC}}||0||4||0 |- |2024 |MLS |12||0||2||0||colspan="2" |—||7||0||21||0 |- |2025 |MLS |0||0|| colspan="2" |—||0||0|| colspan="2" |—||0||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !66!!0!!4!!0!!3!!0!!8!!0!!81!!0 |- |Colorado Rapids (loan) |2023 |MLS |16||0||2||0|| colspan="2" |—||1{{efn|Appearance in Leagues Cup|name=LC}}||0||19||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !118!!3!!6!!0!!3!!0!!9!!0!!136!!3 |}
{{notelist}}
==Honors== '''Seattle Sounders FC''' *MLS Cup: 2019 *CONCACAF Champions League: 2022
'''Individual''' *CONCACAF U-17 Championship Best XI: 2019
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{USL Championship player|danny-leyva}} *{{MLS player|danny-leyva}} *{{soccerway|daniel-leyva/521458}}
{{Club Necaxa squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leyva, Danny}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:Soccer players from Las Vegas Category:American people of Mexican descent Category:Sportspeople of Mexican descent Category:American men's soccer players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Major League Soccer players Category:USL Championship players Category:MLS Next Pro players Category:Liga MX players Category:Tacoma Defiance players Category:Seattle Sounders FC players Category:Colorado Rapids players Category:Homegrown Players (MLS) Category:Club Necaxa footballers Category:United States men's youth international soccer players Category:United States men's under-20 international soccer players Category:Footballers at the 2023 Pan American Games Category:Pan American Games footballers for the United States Category:CONCACAF Champions Cup–winning players Category:21st-century American sportsmen