Efraín Andrés Morales Badillo (born March 4, 2004) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
defender for
Atlanta United. Born in the United States, he is a youth international for Bolivia.
Career
Born in
Decatur,
Georgia, Morales joined in the youth academy of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
club
Atlanta United in 2016.
Morales began at the under-12 level but quickly progressed to the under-17 side.
After impressing coaches in the youth setup, Morales signed a professional
homegrown player contract with Atlanta United on August 13, 2020, which will come into effect on January 1, 2021.
On August 15, 2020, Morales made his professional debut for
Atlanta United 2, Atlanta United's reserve team in the
USL Championship, against
Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...
. He came on as a 22nd-minute substitute for
Patrick Nielsen and scored his first professional goal in the 51st minute. Despite the goal, Atlanta United 2 lost 3–2.
Morales signed a contract extension with Atlanta United on November 29, 2023.
Personal life
Born in the United States, Morales is the son of a Bolivian father and a Puerto Rican mother.
Career statistics
References
External links
*
2004 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Decatur, Georgia
Bolivian men's footballers
Bolivia men's youth international footballers
American men's soccer players
Bolivian people of Puerto Rican descent
American people of Bolivian descent
American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent
Men's association football defenders
Atlanta United 2 players
Atlanta United FC players
USL Championship players
Soccer players from Georgia (U.S. state)
Homegrown Players (MLS)
MLS Next Pro players
Major League Soccer players
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