BIOGRAPHY
Marcelo Palomino was born May 21, 2001 in Houston, Texas, United States. He is an attacking midfielder in Major League Soccer.
Palomino joined the Houston Dynamo academy when he was 11 years old. Whilst with the Dynamo academy, Palomino was named Dynamo Academy Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2018. He spent parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with Houston's Premier Development League affiliate side Brazos Valley Cavalry, scoring 7 goals in 8 appearances for the club, helping them to the PDL Mid-South Division title in 2018. He also spent time training with the Dynamo first team regularly in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, after turning 18, Palomino turned down contract offers from the Dynamo to pursue an opportunity in Europe, going on trials with Portuguese club FC Porto, German club TSV 1860 Munich, and others.
On January 6, 2019, Palomino signed with Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo as a homegrown player. He made his professional debut on October 3, 2020, appearing as a 77th-minute substitute during a 2–1 loss to Sporting Kansas City. Palomino finished the 2020 season having made 3 appearances, all as a substitute, for the Dynamo.
On March 3, 2021, Palomino joined USL Championship club Charlotte Independence on loan for the 2021 season. He made his debut for Charlotte on May 1 in a 3–0 defeat against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In the next game, on May 14, Palomino scored his first goal for the Independence against Charleston Battery, his 12th minute goal being the first in a 3–0 victory. He ended the regular season with 6 goals and 1 assist in 31 appearances, helping Charlotte finish 2nd in the Atlantic Division and qualify for the playoffs.
