The Columbus Crew added to the team’s roster on Wednesday, announcing the signing of midfielder Taha Habroune from Columbus Crew 2 to the first team. Habroune signed a contract through the 2027 season with a team option for 2028, becoming the 21st Homegrown player in Black & Gold history and continuing the recent trend of adding players who developed through the Academy and/or Crew 2 to the first team.

Habroune, 17, signed with Columbus’ reserve side less than a year ago and joined a Crew 2 team that made a second consecutive run to the MLS NEXT Pro Cup, losing to Austin FC II in the final. The Columbus, Ohio native made 20 appearances for Crew 2 in 2023, including 14 starts, and registered four goals and three assists.

Crew fans may already be familiar with Habroune. Shortly after signing with Crew 2, the midfielder made his first-team debut with the club, coming off the bench in the second half of the Black & Gold’s U.S. Open Cup match against the Pittsburgh Riverounds on May 24, 2023. Prior to signing his MLS NEXT Pro contract, Habroune was one of five Academy players to train with the first team during preseason camp in 2023. He will be one of four Academy products on Columbus’ first-team roster this season, including defender Keegan Hughes and midfielders Aidan Morris and Sean Zawadzki.

“Taha is a talented young player who has continued to improve since joining our Club five years ago. Signing a First Team contract is a testament to his efforts and our Club’s commitment to creating opportunities to advance along our player pathway,” said Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in the release announcing Habroune’s signing. “Taha is the first player to progress directly from the Academy to Crew 2 and now to the First Team, and we fully expect this trend to continue in the future based on the strong environment created by the leadership of Marc Nicholls, Corey Wray, Kelvin Jones, Dan Lock and our entire Crew 2 and Crew Academy coaches and staff.”   

Habroune joined the Crew Academy in 2019 and quickly worked his way up the ranks. He was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Generation adidas Cup while playing for the Under-17 side that reached the tournament semifinal. He then took part in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game that same year.

On the international level, Habroune has played 11 times for the United States at the youth level, scoring four goals. He recently represented his country at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia. He played in all three group stage games, making two starts, and scored the opening goal in the Round of 16 loss to Germany. He also scored three goals in the U-17 CONCACAF Championships last February, including back-to-back matches against Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago and against Guatemala in the quarterfinals.  

Habroune will now add to a Crew central midfield that features returning starters Darlington Nagbe and Morris, as well as Zawadzki and new additions Marino Hinestroza and Derrick Jones Jr.

2024 Columbus Crew roster:

Goalkeepers (3): Evan Bush, Nicholas Hagen, Patrick Schulte

Defenders (8): Malte Amundsen, Rudy Camacho, Yevhen Cheberko, Mohamed Farsi, Keegan Hughes, Steven Moreira, Philip Quinton, Will Sands 

Midfielders (9): Taha Habroune, Marino Hinestroza, Derrick Jones, Kevin Molino, Alex Matan, Aidan Morris, Darlington Nagbe, Yaw Yeboah, Sean Zawadzki  

Forwards (5): Max Arfsten, Cucho Hernandez, Christian Ramirez, Diego Rossi, Jacen Russell-Rowe