Roman Celentano Bio
Roman Marcello Celentano is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati. Celentano began his career with the Chicago Sockers before progressing to the collegiate level with the Indiana Hoosiers. He was selected second overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, becoming the highest-drafted goalkeeper in the SuperDraft since 2014. Known for his reflexes and shot-stopping consistency, Celentano has earned multiple league-wide accolades, including the MLS Save of the Year.
Since arriving in Major League Soccer, Celentano has become a fixture between the posts for FC Cincinnati, logging clean sheets and earning recognition for some of the league’s most dramatic saves. His rapid rise from college standout to MLS starter has drawn attention from coaches and analysts around the league.
Early Life and Background
Roman Marcello Celentano was born on September 14, 2000, in Naperville, Illinois. He was raised by his parents, Marcello and Manuela Celentano, alongside two siblings named Julian and Remi. Growing up in the western Chicago suburbs gave Celentano early access to competitive youth soccer through local clubs.
Celentano attended Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, where he developed his skills as a goalkeeper. He played youth soccer for the Chicago Sockers, a well-known developmental program that produced several future professional players. Those formative years helped him sharpen the technical and mental side of his game before the collegiate level.
Standing at 185 centimeters tall, Celentano physically filled into the goalkeeper frame during his teenage years. His size, combined with athletic reflexes, made him an attractive prospect for top college programs.
Path to Soccer
Celentano enrolled at Indiana University in 2019 and joined the Indiana Hoosiers men’s soccer team. He played three seasons for the Hoosiers, competing in the Big Ten Conference at one of the most competitive college soccer programs in the United States. During his first two seasons, the Hoosiers captured both the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships.
Celentano was twice named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and earned spots on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team in back-to-back years. He was also recognized as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Tournament in 2020, highlighting his impact in the biggest moments. Those performances drew the attention of Major League Soccer scouts.
After his junior season, Celentano decided to forgo his senior year at Indiana University and signed a Generation Adidas contract with MLS, making him eligible for the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Projected as a Top 10 selection, he entered the professional ranks with momentum and credibility.
Roman Celentano Career
Early Career (2022)
Celentano was drafted second overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft on January 11, 2022, signing his professional contract the same day. He became the highest-drafted goalkeeper in the SuperDraft since Andre Blake in 2014, signaling the club’s confidence in his long-term potential. Cincinnati immediately sent him on loan to its reserve side, FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS Next Pro, to begin his professional adjustment.
Celentano made his professional debut with FC Cincinnati 2 on March 27, 2022, in a 2–0 loss to Philadelphia Union II. The experience gave him a first taste of the professional game and helped him settle into a faster, more physical environment than college soccer.
FC Cincinnati Breakthrough (2022)
Celentano made his first team debut for FC Cincinnati on April 19, 2022, in a U.S. Open Cup match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. A few days later, on April 24, 2022, he made his MLS debut, starting and playing the full match in a 2–1 loss to Los Angeles FC.
His first clean sheet arrived on May 4, 2022, in a victory against Toronto FC. He followed that up with a second consecutive clean sheet against Minnesota United FC, earning a spot in the MLS Team of the Week for Week 10 of the 2022 Major League Soccer season. The early run cemented him as Cincinnati’s first-choice goalkeeper.
FC Cincinnati Era (2023–Present)
On May 20, 2023, Celentano punched away a close-range header by Steven Moreira late in a match against Columbus Crew, preserving a 3–2 win. That save was later named the 2023 MLS Save of the Year, putting him on the league-wide map as one of the most athletic keepers in MLS.
On October 28, 2025, Celentano won the 2025 MLS Save of the Year award. The honor came for a sequence in which he stopped multiple close-range attempts by Nashville SC’s Alex Muyl and Sam Surridge during a 2–1 win on March 29. With that award, he became the fourth goalkeeper in league history to win the MLS Save of the Year on multiple occasions.
Celentano also received his first senior international call-up in January 2023, joining the United States Men’s National Team ahead of friendlies against Serbia and Colombia. The selection reflected his steady club form and growing reputation at the professional level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Celentano’s career include being drafted second overall in 2022, becoming the highest-drafted goalkeeper since Andre Blake in 2014, winning the MLS Save of the Year in both 2023 and 2025, and earning a first U.S. Men’s National Team call-up in January 2023. He is the fourth goalkeeper to win the MLS Save of the Year multiple times.
Roman Celentano Career Wins
Roman Celentano’s professional career has been highlighted by league-wide recognition rather than trophy lifts. His biggest individual accolades include back-to-back Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year awards in 2020 and 2021, the 2023 MLS Save of the Year, and the 2025 MLS Save of the Year.
FC Cincinnati Highlights
Since becoming Cincinnati’s starting goalkeeper, Celentano has recorded multiple clean sheets across league play and cup competition. His first two career clean sheets came against Toronto FC and Minnesota United FC in May 2022, marking the start of his MLS shutout log. His biggest spotlight moment arrived with the 2023 Save of the Year against Columbus Crew, followed by his second Save of the Year in 2025 against Nashville SC.
College Achievements
During his time with the Indiana Hoosiers, Celentano helped the program win Big Ten regular season and tournament championships in his first two seasons. He was a two-time Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and a two-time Big Ten All-Tournament Team selection, finishing his college career as one of the most decorated goalkeepers in program history.
Roman Celentano Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Roman Celentano was born and raised in Naperville, Illinois, to Marcello and Manuela Celentano. He grew up alongside two siblings, Julian and Remi, in a family environment that supported his early commitment to competitive soccer.
Personal Life
Celentano continues to build his professional career in Major League Soccer with FC Cincinnati, the club that drafted him second overall in 2022. Information about a spouse or long-term partner is not publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
Roman Celentano remained FC Cincinnati’s starting goalkeeper through the 2025 Major League Soccer season, anchoring the back line with a steady presence between the posts. His defining moment of the campaign came on March 29, when he made multiple close-range stops against Nashville SC’s Alex Muyl and Sam Surridge during a 2–1 win.
That sequence was later named the 2025 MLS Save of the Year, awarded on October 28, 2025. The honor placed Celentano alongside an exclusive group, as he became the fourth goalkeeper in league history to win the award on multiple occasions.
Looking ahead, Celentano’s form positions him as a long-term starter for Cincinnati and a candidate for future United States Men’s National Team opportunities, building on his first call-up in January 2023.