Santiago Pita: The Joy, the Grind, and the Journey to Atlanta United’s First Team
- Jason Longshore
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Atlanta United’s newest Homegrown signing, 18-year-old midfielder Santiago Pita, speaks with an honesty and energy that immediately reveals why he has become one of the club’s most exciting young prospects. A technically gifted attacker who broke through at ATL UTD 2 in 2025, Pita now takes the next step with a Homegrown contract for the 2026 MLS season, with options through 2029.
For Pita, the deal isn’t a moment to relax. It’s the opposite.
“It’s a huge step in my career,” he told me today in an exclusive interview for SDH. “But I just take it as more motivation that I’m doing things correctly and to keep doing them. I don’t think it’s going to change anything personally… it’s just motivation to keep going.”
Atlanta United officially announced the signing on Tuesday, calling Pita “a technically savvy player” capable of operating as an attacking midfielder or winger. He was a standout performer in his first season as a professional, starting 10 of his 12 appearances with ATL UTD 2, and contributing two goals and two assists. With the U-18s, he logged nearly 1,900 minutes, added eight goal contributions, and played a key role in their Generation adidas Cup semifinal run.
The journey, though, was anything but smooth early on. Pita admits that when he wasn’t playing, he struggled mentally... but never enough to lose the joy of the game. The support staff around him played a crucial role in keeping him focused and ready.
“If I wasn’t playing, they were always helping me,” he said. “Your time will come. And it did.” He credits multiple people, including performance staff and interim Atlanta United 2 head coach José Silva, for giving him the opportunity to show what he can do.
He also points to Director of Methodology Javier Pérez as one of the most influential figures in his development. “He’s one of the guys I appreciate the most for not taking my game away. That’s the philosophy, he wants us to play. He’s been very important for me.”
Anyone who has watched Pita understands exactly what he means. His creativity and ability to improvise in tight spaces make him one of the most unique young players in the club’s system. But he knows the jump to MLS requires the physical tools to match.
“I’m not where I want to be physically yet,” he said. “Endurance is something I need to work on so I can keep doing the things I do when I’m tired at the end of the game. Sometimes when you’re tired, your feet just stop working.”
What comforts him is the club’s commitment to allowing him to be himself. “I’m always scared when I go to a new team that they try to cut that part from me… but Atlanta never tried to take that from me. They let me play the way I like while helping me with the other things.”
When he reflects on 2025, the moments that matter most aren’t individual highlights. Instead, he goes back to the nearly impossible playoff push with Atlanta United 2 late in the MLS NEXT Pro season.
“We thought we weren’t even close,” he said. “At the end, we almost made it. We were sad, but at the same time, so proud of what we did that last part of the season. We built that team.”
Through all of it all... the highs, the lows, the breakthroughs, Pita’s connection to the sport never wavered.
“Football is everything for me,” he said. “If I don’t have football, I don’t know what I’d be doing. Every decision I make is based on football.”
The year ahead promises even more. Pita is excited to work under Tata Martino (“He’s a legend… we’re going to do good this season”) and is energized by the World Cup coming to the U.S. in 2026. He hopes to attend a match and dreams one day of playing in the tournament himself.
For now, though, he’s grounded in the present—improving every day, pushing his limits, and holding onto the joy that has carried him this far. Atlanta United believes in his future. Pita believes in the work.
And his story is only just beginning.