#19 Enzo Martinez
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 150
DOB: 9/29/1990
Age: 32
Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay
Previous Club: Charlotte Independence (USL Championship)
Enzo Martinez was the undisputed MVP for the Three Sparks in 2022 — his debut season with the club. He led in virtually every stat he could, with the most goals (15), shots (68), shots on target (37), assists (eight), tackles (63), tackles won (40) and chances created (70). Additionally, his ability to drop back when needed saw him get the most blocks of any offensive player (five).
Martinez joined Legion FC on January 7, 2022 after six seasons and 161 appearances with the USLC’s Charlotte Independence. In 2021, Martinez led his former club with five assists, was tied for second with seven goals, was third in shots with 32, and was tied for third with 30 chances created.
After earning that All-League nod in 2017, Martinez signed with MLS-side Colorado Rapids for the 2018 season and played 25 times while adding three assists, before returning to Charlotte, where he was named team captain, for the past three years.
The Uruguayan sits just outside of the top 50 in career appearances in the USL Championship (153), is 48th in minutes played (12,004), and is tied for 21st in regular season goals (44) and tied for 11th in regular season assists (30). He is one of just three players in USLC history to have bagged 40+ goals and 30+ assists in the regular season.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity to get to know new teammates and staff and to become a part of this community,” said Martinez. “But most importantly, the reason why Birmingham became the number one choice for me is because I truly believe that this team can win a championship. At this point in my career, the only thing I want is to win a championship, and I truly believe I have a chance to do so with Birmingham.”
Martinez’s first stint in Major League Soccer came with Real Salt Lake when the club drafted him 17th overall in the 2012 SuperDraft. He spent 2013 and 2014 with NASL outfit Carolina RailHawks, where he won the 2013 NASL Supporters Cup.
Before turning pro, Martinez was a standout player at the University of North Carolina, where he won the 2011 National Championship playing alongside current Legion FC midfielder Mikey Lopez. It is also no exaggeration to call Martinez one of the greatest high school soccer players of all time, after ESPN named him the ESPN Rise High School Boys Soccer Player of the Decade in 2009.
While in high school, he was named South Carolina Player of the Year four years in a row, won three state championships and a national title while scoring 182 goals at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, SC, and added a national title with his club team, Discoveries SC.
