BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ramiz Hamouda Signs Contract with SV Werder
The ink is now dry: 18-year-old center back Ramiz Hamouda signed his contract with SV Werder Bremen at the end of May. The American is moving from Birmingham Legion FC to the Weser.
“We had already announced at the beginning of the year that we wanted to sign Ramiz in the summer. It’s all the more wonderful that all the contracts are now signed. He’ll first settle in Bremen and at Werder at the start of the season and will begin with our U23 team,” explains Clemens Fritz, Managing Director of Football.
Ramiz Hamouda transferred from the Kansas Academy to Birmingham Legion FC, which plays in the USL Championship (second division), in 2024. He made his debut for Birmingham at age 15, making him the youngest player ever to play for Legion FC in the second division. In total, he has appeared in 36 USL Championship matches.
Since joining in 2024, he has made major improvements in both ball progression and defending.
Offensively, 31% of his passes are played forward, ranking top 10 among USL center backs this season. He is averaging 5.74 passes and dribbles into the final third per match, more than double his 2025 average of 2.73 and top seven in the league.
His line-breaking ability has also improved significantly. He now attempts nine line-breaking passes per match compared to five in 2025, while completing 75% of them, a top 10 mark among USL center backs. Last season, he completed just 26%.
Defensively, he owns a 90% aerial win rate, the second-highest among USL center backs in 2026, compared to 53% in 2024.
He has also become much stronger in 1v1 defending. He has not been dribbled past once when engaging in a tackle this season, posting a 100% success rate after being at 77% in 2024.
Overall, his timing, decision-making, and ability to break lines have all taken a major step forward.
