What Is Freddy Adu's Net Worth and Salary?
Freddy Adu is a Ghanaian American professional soccer player who has a net worth of $4 million. Freddy Adu was born in Tema, Ghana, and when he was eight years old, his mother won a Green Card Lottery. The family moved to Maryland, and Adu became a U.S. citizen. At age 12, he helped his school's soccer team win the Maryland state championship in 2001. He was named MVP of a tournament with the U.S. Olympic Development Program.
Freddy was approached by Italian soccer clubs at 10 years old, but his mother turned down six-figure offers. At 12, he joined the IMG Academy in Florida.
At 13, Freddy signed a $1 million endorsement deal with Nike. At 14, Freddy made his pro debut in Major League Soccer. He was the youngest American to sign a major league pro contract in any sport after being the #1 pick by D.C. United. His first contract with D.C. United paid him $500 thousand per year in base salary. In his first year, his team won the MLS Cup. He went on to play for Real Salt Lake, Benfica, Philadelphia Union, Bahia, and Stabaek. Adu has represented the United States in international competition in the under-17, under-20, and under-23 teams. From 2006 to 2011, he represented the USA at the senior level. He is an attacking midfielder who can also play winger or forward. At one point, Adu was considered the next Pele. He has played professionally in the U.S., Portugal, France, Greece, Turkey, and Brazil.
Early Life
Freddy Adu was born on June 2, 1989, in Temu, Ghana. As a child, he played soccer frequently, often against men who were three times his age. In 1997, his mother, Emelia Adu, won a green card through the Diversity Immigrant lottery, and the family moved to Rockville, Maryland. Soon after arriving in the U.S., Freddy was discovered by a local soccer coach and began playing with boys who were several years older than him. He attended The Heights School, a private school in Potomac, Maryland. He became a United States citizen in February 2003.
Career
Adu began playing with the U.S. Olympic Development Program in the under-14 tournament. His team won the competition, and Freddy was named MVP. At the age of 14, he became the youngest American ever to sign a major league professional contract in any team sport when he was chosen by D.C. United as the number one overall pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. MLS assigned him to D.C. United so that he could be close to home. In April 2004, Adu was called on the field to play against the San Jose Earthquakes as a second-half substitute. In doing so, he became the youngest player ever to appear in United States professional sports. A few weeks later, he scored his first professional goal in the 75th minute of a game against the MetroStars. He became the youngest player in MLS history to score a goal.
Adu made his full international debut for the United States national team at the age of 16 in 2006. In December 2006, D.C. United traded Freddy and another player to Real Salt Lake. Adu made his debut for Salt Lake in April 2007. He scored his first goal for the club in May 2007. During the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he was the captain of the U-20 United States men's national team and made a very impressive showing. After the tournament, the Portuguese Liga's Benfica soccer club secured Adu's rights from the MLS for a transfer fee of $2 million.
In August 2007, Freddy made his debut with Benfica against Copenhagen in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match when he was called onto the field midway through the game as a substitute. He was then loaned to AS Monaco on a season-long loan in July 2008. He returned to Benfica for training in July 2009 and then was loaned to Portuguese club Belenenses from the 2009-2010 season. However, he was injured mid-way through the season, and his loan was cut short. He signed a 12-month loan deal with a Greek team in January 2010. He then played for a Turkish team in 2011.
Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
In August 2011, Adu returned to Major League Soccer when he signed with Philadelphia Union. He remained there until April 2013, when he joined Bahia of Brazil. He was released from Bahia in 2014 and then started a succession of unsuccessful trials around Europe. He began training with Blackpool, but the team decided against offering him a contract. He then trained with the Norwegian club Stabaek and later joined the Dutch club AZ Alkmaar on trial. However, the club did not offer him a contract. In July 2014, he signed a contract with Serbian club FK Jagodina but was released six months later. In March 2015, he announced he was signing with KuPS for one year. Freddy decided to terminate his contract with the team in July of that year. He then joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League. He made 13 appearances with the club before being released in 2016.
Adu then went on trial with the Portland Timbers but was not offered a contract. In March 2018, Las Vegas Lights FC added Adu to the regular season's roster. He made 14 appearances throughout the season before being released at the end of the 2018 season. He then went on a two-year hiatus and worked as a youth football coach during this time. He then briefly was under contract with the Swedish team Osterlen FF before his contract was terminated.
In addition to his club career, Adu has also played on the international level. At the age of 16, he made his debut with the United States national team in 2006, though he had also considered playing for the Ghana team. He went on to win 17 caps for the United States and was part of the U.S. teams at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup as well as at the 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. He also represented the United States Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Personal Life
Adu has been romantically connected to a few women over the years. From 2005 to 2007, he was said to be dating singer Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque. In 2008, he began dating Shadia Simmons, and they are reportedly still together.
