Akol Akon: Sydney’s Teenage Sensation Lands a Record-Breaking MLS Move

Akol Akon has already achieved more before his 18th birthday than most players can dream of.

The 17-year-old Australian winger has signed with the Colorado Rapids in a multi-million-dollar transfer from Sydney FC, completing one of the biggest deals involving a teenager in A-League history. The agreement is reportedly worth an initial A$1.5 million and could rise to A$2.5 million, with a sell-on clause also included. For Sydney FC, it represents a club-record transfer for a teenager. 

Akon will not move to Colorado immediately. Having signed a contract that runs through the 2030-31 season, with an option for 2031-32, he has been loaned back to Sydney for the remainder of the 2026-27 A-League season. He is therefore set to finish his development in Australia before making the move to MLS in July 2027. 

Born on May 21, 2009, Akon grew up in St Marys in Western Sydney and comes from a South Sudanese family. He started playing football when he was only four years old and eventually entered the Western Sydney Wanderers’ youth system before making the move across the city to Sydney FC. 

One of Akon’s first major breakthroughs came with Australia U17.

In February 2025, while still only 15, he scored a first-half hat-trick against Saudi Arabia at the Hattrick U17 International Tournament in Dubai, helping the Joeys to a 4-0 victory. Sydney FC later described the performance as the moment he rose to national prominence. 

That same year, he made the jump into professional football.

Sydney signed him from Western Sydney Wanderers in June 2025 on a three-year deal, with the club describing him as one of Australia’s hottest young attacking prospects. Capable of playing on either wing or through the middle, Akon was praised for his pace, flair and ability to create something out of nothing in the final third. 

On August 9, 2025, Akon made his first-team debut against Sydney United in the Australia Cup at just 16 years, two months and 20 days old.

That made him the youngest player ever to appear for Sydney FC’s men’s first team. He would go on to break even more age records over the following year. 

During the 2025-26 campaign, Akon gradually became a bigger part of Sydney’s senior setup. He registered three assists in his A-League appearances and added another three assists in three Australia Cup matches. He was subsequently named the club’s 2026 Rising Star. 

Akon became the youngest player in A-League history to appear in a Finals Series match, and later became the youngest player to start an A-League Grand Final.

He was only 17 years and two days old when he started Sydney FC’s Grand Final against Auckland FC in May 2026. That made him the youngest player ever to feature and start in an A-League Men’s Grand Final. 

His performances also showed that he was capable of making an impact against much older professionals.

One of his standout moments came against former club Western Sydney Wanderers, when he recorded three assists in a 4-1 Sydney Derby victory. The performance was particularly remarkable given his age and his relatively limited senior experience at that point.

Now, during the opening stages of the 2026-27 campaign, Akon has continued to produce. He has recorded six assists across all competitions, currently the highest total at Sydney FC, according to Colorado’s announcement. Across his time with Sydney’s first and second teams, he has made 28 appearances.

Akon’s rise has also been closely followed by Australia’s national-team setup.

He made his Australia U17 debut in February 2025 against South Korea and went on to feature at the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup. He has since accumulated eight appearances for the Joeys. 

Akon’s move also continues an increasingly interesting connection between Colorado Rapids and Australian football.

Just months ago, Colorado’s Lucas Herrington made a spectacular jump from the A-League to MLS, earned an Australia World Cup call-up and eventually completed a reported club-record transfer from Colorado to Hull City in England. Colorado had signed Herrington from Brisbane Roar as an 18-year-old.

Now the Rapids have gone back to the same market for another teenage Australian prospect.

Now he has secured a multi-million-dollar move to MLS before even turning 18.

The fact that he will remain in Sydney for another season makes the story even more intriguing. Akon gets another full campaign in the A-League to develop, compete against senior professionals and add to a résumé that already includes multiple age records.

Then, in July 2027, the next chapter begins in Colorado.

At an age when most players are still trying to establish themselves in academy football, Akol Akon has already become a record-breaking professional, an Australian youth international and now one of the most valuable teenage exports in A-League history.