FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (December 28, 2023) – The New England Revolution have partnered with global esports brand LUNA Galaxy, owned in part by Liverpool FC and Portugal National Team star Diogo Jota, and signed João "Jafonso" Vasconcelos as the club’s new professional eMLS competitor ahead of the 2024 eMLS season.

Jafonso, 19, is a Portugal native and accomplished EA Sports FC 24^TM professional who represents LUNA GALAXY and will now compete on behalf of the Revolution at all eMLS and FC 24 global events. Born in Funchal, Madeira, Jafonso studies management at Lisbon University and has been a professional eSports competitor with LUNA GALAXY since 2021. Previously known as Diogo Jota Esports, LUNA GALAXY is an eSports team powered by the Liverpool FC and Portugal National Team along with Galaxy Racer, a Transmedia Powerhouse focused on esports, content creators, music, and sports.

“I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the New England Revolution for the 2024 eMLS season. New England is a great team and I'm honored to represent them on the virtual pitch,” Jafonso stated. “The competition also has big names on it, and I think that's the perfect environment to compete. I'm ready to show what I can bring to eMLS.”

The teenager’s professional career began with a top-four performance in the Portuguese eLiga in 2020. Shortly after, Jafonso won the Portuguese National Championship in EA Sports FIFA 22^TM. His career accolades also include participation in the Top-33 Worldwide FIFA Global Series on FIFA 22 and, most recently, FC Pro Open Global Qualifiers: London EAFC 24 in November 2023.  

“We are confident that this partnership will be a resounding success,” Jota said. “We are committed to provide the best experiences to our players and help to elevate both LUNA GALAXY, New England Revolution and eMLS to new heights.”

The complete 2024 eMLS calendar of events and competition format will be announced in January 2024. In the meantime, the MLS offseason continues with the MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas on Tuesday, December 19, available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.