| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (2006-03-19) March 19, 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Miami, Florida, United States[1] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Barcelona B | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Weston | |||
| West Pines United | |||
| 2016–2019 | Marcet Football Academy | ||
| 2018–2019 | TecnoFutbol CF | ||
| 2019–2024 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Barcelona B | 20 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2022 | United States U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | United States U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2024 | United States U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | United States U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2025– | United States U23 | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 15, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of November 18, 2025 | |||
Diego Kochen (born March 19, 2006) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Segunda Federación team Barcelona Atlètic.
Club career
Born in Miami, Florida, to a Peruvian mother and Venezuelan father, Kochen started his career with the youth academy of Weston FC, initially starting his career as an outfield player, before switching to goalkeeper at the age of eight to cover for an ill teammate.[2][3] He also played for West Pines United in Florida and, after his parents moved to Spain in 2018 for work-related reasons, he played for the Marcet Football University and their affiliate team TecnoFutbol CF.[2][3]
Having progressed through Barcelona's La Masia academy, he signed his first professional contract with the club in March 2022.[4] On October 11, 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.[5] Kochen was included in the senior squad for a friendly against Club América on December 22, 2023.[6] He replaced Ander Astralaga in the 62nd minute.[7]
On February 2, 2024, Barcelona reached an agreement with Kochen for a new contract until 2028. The deal was signed on March 19, his 18th birthday. He was officially promoted to Barcelona Atlètic for the remainder of the 2023–24 season, where he was assigned the number 24.[8] He made his Barça Atlètic debut the following April 14 against Unionistas in a 4–1 away loss.[9]
International career
Kochen has represented the United States at youth international level.[1] He remains eligible to represent Peru or Venezuela.[10][11] In January 2022, Diego received his first US YNT call-up for a training camp at IMG in Brandenton.[12] On March 15, 2022, Kochen debuted for the United States under-17, going on to captain the team on occasion and receive a nomination for 2022 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year.[13][14] He then made his debut for the United States under-19 on March 24, 2024, against England under-19, which resulted in a 3–2 win for the United States.[15] He received his first call up to the senior United States men's national soccer team for the September 2024 international window.[16]
In September 2025, Kochen was called up by the United States under-20s for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, but had to withdraw after being recalled by Barcelona following an injury sustained to first-choice goalkeeper Joan García.[17]
Career statistics
Club
- As of October 15, 2025[18]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona Atlètic | 2023–24 | Primera Federación | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Primera Federación | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2025–26 | Segunda Federación | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
Honors
Barcelona
- UEFA Youth League: 2024–25[19]
References
- ^ a b c Diego Kochen at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b Bona, German (April 19, 2022). "Who is Diego Kochen, the USMNT goalkeeper training with Barça B?". sport.es. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Diego Kochen: 'The best of my life'". marcetfootball.com. January 14, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Joan Laporta paga más que nadie por el nuevo Courtois y el Barça anuncia que el acuerdo está cerrado" [Joan Laporta pays more than anyone for the new Courtois and Barça announces that the deal is closed]. elnacional.cat (in Spanish). March 2, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (October 11, 2023). "Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football". theguardian.com. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ "The squad for Dallas". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Five more debuts in the Dallas friendly". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Diego Kochen staying at FC Barcelona until 2028". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Unionistas Salamanca 4-1 Barça Atlètic: Heavy defeat". FC Barcelona. April 14, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ "Arquero del FC Barcelona de raíces peruanas fue convocado por Estados Unidos" [FC Barcelona goalkeeper with Peruvian roots was summoned by the United States]. larepublica.pe (in Spanish). January 15, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Diego Kochen, el joven portero con ascendencia venezolana que se forma con el FC Barcelona" [Diego Kochen, the young goalkeeper with Venezuelan descent who trained with FC Barcelona]. El Nacional (in Spanish). March 1, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Congratulations Tyler Hall & Diego Kochen! U17 USYNT Call-Up". Weston FC. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Argentina U17 vs. United States U17 - 15 March 2022 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "USA roster announced for 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship". SoccerWire. February 3, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Under-19 MYNT Tops England 3-2 in Morocco as Prep for Concacaf Championship Continues". US Soccer. March 25, 2024.
- ^ Henry, Larry Jr. (September 1, 2024). "Marlon Fossey, Diego Kochen earning USMNT opportunities in September window - SBI Soccer". SBI Soccer.
- ^ Marsden, Sam (September 27, 2025). "Barcelona recall keeper Kochen from U.S. U20 World Cup squad". ESPN. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ Diego Kochen at Soccerway
- ^ "Record third Youth League title". FC Barcelona. April 28, 2025. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
External links
- Diego Kochen at U.S. Soccer
- Diego Kochen at Soccerway
