HOUSTON (Sept. 3, 2025) – Houston Dynamo 2 is excited to announce the signing of Academy product and midfielder Noah Betancourt to an MLS NEXT Pro contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027, the Club announced today.
Betancourt, who calls Katy (Houston) home, is the eighth Dynamo Academy player in Club history to sign a professional contract with Dynamo 2. Other players include Roberto “Beto” Avila, Joyner Castillo, DavidGarcia, Diego Gonzalez, Mujeeb Murana, Jathan Juarez and Sebastian Rodriguez.
"Noah is another example of a homegrown player who has risen through the Dynamo Academy and earned a professional contract. Joining the Academy in 2022 from Houston-based Rise SC, Noah’s journey reflects the Academy’s commitment to identifying and developing local players,” said Dynamo Assistant General Manager Nick Kowba. “We want to thank his mother Selene, father Ivan and youth club RISE SC for their significant contributions to his development. We value our relationships with local soccer clubs and are excited to see another of our Academy players make the jump to the professional ranks and continue his development.”
Betancourt joins Dynamo 2 directly from the Dynamo Academy, where he joined in June 2022 at the age of 16 and quickly became a key contributor during his three-year Academy tenure, scoring 11 goals. Over the years, the now 18-year-old rose through the Academy ranks and represented the Club in various tournaments, including the 2024 Generation Adidas Cup with the U-17 squad, where he helped the team reach the Round of 16. Betancourt also played a key role for the squad that went unbeaten (2-0-1) at the 2024 MLS NEXT Fest, contributing a goal in the tournament and serving as a team leader on the pitch.
Prior to joining the Dynamo Academy, Betancourt moved from Orange County, Calif. to Katy, a suburb in Houston, in 2019 and joined RISE SC that fall at the age of 13, playing under Jon Burklo, who is now Technical Director of Metropolitan Oval Academy in New York. RISE SC is a non-profit youth sports club based in Houston that strives to transform and provide opportunities for all young soccer players in the local community. Notably, during his time with RISE SC, Betancourt was called up to training camp with the U.S. U-15 National Team in January 2022.
The midfielder has already featured multiple times for Dynamo Dos this season, making his professional debut in the Homer Opener against Sporting Kansas City II on March 8. Betancourt is currently tied for second for most appearances (21) for Dos this season, and notably, he is one of 11 Academy players who have made their professional debuts this year.
In his 21 appearances, Betancourt has started 16 matches and logged 1,503 minutes, while ranking fourth on the team with 12 key passes.
TRANSACTION: Houston Dynamo 2 signed Dynamo Academy product and midfielder Noah Betancourt to MLS NEXT Pro contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.
