Francis Castillo

Francisco Antonio Castillo-Orellana (born 7 November 2005) is a Salvadoran footballer who plays as a Forward for Alianza, and the El Salvador national team.

Club career Castillo began playing football at age six with Lehigh Valley United. As a youth, he also played for Allentown United FC and FC Delco in MLS Next before joining the academy of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.

In April 2022, Castillo made two appearances and scored two goals for Allentown United in the NISA Nation. At age sixteen, he joined C.F. Esperança de Lagos of the Campeonato de Portugal in August 2022. He returned to the United States and joined Philadelphia Union II of MLS Next Pro for the 2023 season. He made one appearance for the club, coming on as a late substitute in a match against Chicago Fire FC II on 18 June. . Later in 2023, Castillo was part of the International Soccer Academy team that integrated into the FC Schalke 04 youth system in Germany. He had further experience in the country with trials at 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen. Despite signing in March, the player was cleared to play for the Spanish club in August 2024 following a lengthy visa process.

International career Castillo was born in Northampton, Pennsylvania, United States to parents from Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Despite playing for Nicaragua in qualification, Castillo was part of the El Salvador under-20 squad for the 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. After missing most of the tournament through injury, he returned and scored in the team's match against Canada to close out the Group stage. In April 2024, he decided to represent El Salvador at the senior level. He debuted for the nation on 6 June 2024 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Puerto Rico.

Career statistics International