Last Updated on September 21, 2026 by Mike

Chris Aquino comes from a close, soccer-loving Mexican-American family whose support has been central to his rise from youth football in Pasco, Washington, to the professional game. Born Christopher Jesús Aquino Valverde on March 31, 2006, Aquino developed through the Seattle Sounders system, represented the United States at youth international level and later gained experience in Mexico before joining Colorado Rapids 2.
Aquino’s parents are Enrique Aquino and Liliana Aquino. His publicly documented siblings include his older brother, Edwin Aquino, and sister, Maritza Aquino. Soccer runs strongly through the family: Edwin played for Pasco High School and Seattle University, Maritza also played at Pasco High, and Chris has directly credited his father with introducing him to the game and constantly encouraging his development.
Does Chris Aquino Have a Girlfriend?
As of now, Chris Aquino has not publicly confirmed having a girlfriend. Reliable club biographies, interviews and established media reports do not identify a current romantic partner.
Aquino has attracted increasing attention since entering professional soccer as a teenager, but his public profile remains focused primarily on football and his family. Even detailed reporting from his hometown has concentrated on his parents, siblings and development rather than his dating life.
There is also no reliable public confirmation that Aquino is engaged or married. Without a direct statement from the player or a trustworthy publication, identifying someone as his girlfriend based solely on social-media photographs or interactions would be speculative.
Does Chris Aquino Have Children?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Chris Aquino has children.
Neither Aquino nor his clubs have announced that he is a father. As of now, the young midfielder’s publicly documented life is centered on building his professional soccer career and continuing his development after experiences in both the United States and Mexico.
Who Are Chris Aquino’s Parents?
Chris Aquino’s parents are Enrique Aquino and Liliana Aquino. Their identities were publicly confirmed in a detailed Northwest Public Broadcasting feature about Chris’s rise from Pasco to the United States U-17 national team.
Both parents have followed his career closely, and their reactions during his youth international appearances showed how much his achievements meant to the entire Aquino family.
Chris has particularly emphasized his father’s influence on his soccer career, while Liliana has spoken proudly about seeing her son pursue a dream he had worked toward since childhood.
Chris Aquino’s Father: Enrique Aquino
Chris Aquino’s father is Enrique Aquino. Enrique was instrumental in introducing his son to organized soccer and helping him develop his love for the game.
Chris began playing in Pasco youth leagues at approximately five years old. Looking back on those early years, Aquino directly credited his father with signing him up for teams and continually challenging him to become a better player.
That encouragement became especially important as Chris’s talent started separating him from other young players in the Tri-Cities area.
At 12, Aquino entered the Seattle Sounders Discovery Program, beginning a pathway that required significantly greater commitment than local youth soccer. His family continued supporting him as he traveled from Pasco toward the Seattle area to pursue opportunities within one of Major League Soccer’s leading development systems.
Enrique Aquino’s Support for His Son
Enrique’s emotional investment in Chris’s career became especially visible during the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship.
Northwest Public Broadcasting interviewed the family as they watched Chris represent the United States. Enrique described the excitement of seeing his son compete internationally and score for his country.
The tournament even created an unusual family moment when the United States faced Mexico in the final. Mexico held obvious personal significance for Enrique, but he made clear that his loyalty during the match belonged with the United States because his son was on the field.
That moment reflected the multicultural identity surrounding Chris’s career. Aquino has both American and Mexican nationality and later pursued club football in Mexico, giving him meaningful connections with both countries.
Chris Aquino’s Mother: Liliana Aquino
Chris Aquino’s mother is Liliana Aquino. She has generally maintained a quieter public profile than her son’s increasingly visible football career but has been present throughout his development.
When Northwest Public Broadcasting visited the Aquino family during the U-17 Championship in 2023, Liliana was described as remaining particularly quiet while watching her son’s matches.
She nevertheless expressed considerable pride in Chris, explaining that she was happy and excited because her son was following his dreams.
For a player who had begun in Pasco youth soccer and progressed to representing the United States internationally before turning 17, those matches represented a major achievement for the entire household.
Chris Aquino’s Siblings
Chris Aquino has at least two publicly documented siblings: his brother Edwin Aquino and sister Maritza Aquino.
Soccer is a common thread connecting all three. Edwin played through high school and college, while Maritza also competed at the high-school level. Their sporting backgrounds meant Chris grew up in a family that already understood the game before his career reached the professional level.
Reliable reporting has not established whether Edwin and Maritza are Chris’s only siblings, so they are best described as his two publicly known siblings rather than assuming the family’s complete number of children.
Edwin Aquino
Edwin Aquino is Chris Aquino’s older brother and one of the people who has publicly spoken most proudly about the midfielder’s achievements.
Edwin told Northwest Public Broadcasting that he had watched Chris grow from infancy and had seen firsthand the dedication and hard work his younger brother invested in soccer.
Seeing that effort eventually produce professional and international opportunities made him particularly proud.
Like Chris, Edwin was a competitive soccer player. He played for Pasco High School before continuing his career at Seattle University.
Having an older brother who reached college soccer gave Chris another example within his own household of what commitment to the sport could achieve.
Edwin Aquino’s Influence on Chris
Although Chris has directly credited his father with introducing him to soccer, Edwin’s presence provided another important sporting influence.
The brothers grew up playing in a community where soccer is particularly popular among Pasco’s large Latino population. Images shared by the family show the Aquino siblings together around the sport from an early age.
Edwin eventually moved toward other professional goals away from competitive soccer, but he continued closely following his younger brother’s career.
When Chris reached the United States U-17 national team, Edwin remained one of his enthusiastic supporters and shared family photographs documenting the siblings’ early soccer experiences.
Maritza Aquino
Maritza Aquino is Chris’s publicly documented sister.
Northwest Public Broadcasting reported that Maritza also played soccer for Pasco High School, continuing the family’s involvement in the sport.
Like Edwin, Maritza later pursued interests outside competitive football, but soccer remained an important connection within the Aquino household.
Little additional verified information about her personal or professional life has been published, and she has remained outside the public attention surrounding her younger brother.
Soccer Runs Through the Aquino Family
The Aquino household provides a clear example of how a family environment can help a young player develop.
Enrique introduced Chris to teams and encouraged him to improve. Edwin progressed from Pasco High to Seattle University. Maritza played at Pasco High. Chris then took the family’s connection with the game further by entering the Seattle Sounders development system and eventually becoming a professional.
The family’s enthusiasm remained visible even after Chris progressed beyond local soccer. Relatives and family friends gathered together to watch his United States youth-national-team matches on television.
That support helped transform Aquino’s international appearances into community events in Pasco, where young players could watch someone from their own area competing at a high level.
Chris Aquino’s Childhood in Pasco
Aquino grew up in Pasco, Washington, an area with a strong Latino and Mexican-American community and a significant soccer culture.
He began playing organized soccer when he was approximately five years old.
Aquino quickly developed a reputation for his ability and discipline. A longtime family friend later recalled that his talent was already noticeable when he was young and praised the seriousness with which he approached both soccer and school.
By age 12, his ability had attracted the Seattle Sounders, and he joined the club’s Discovery Program.
That opportunity began a lengthy connection with the Sounders organization that would eventually take him from academy soccer into the professional game.
From Pasco to the Seattle Sounders Academy
After entering the Sounders Discovery Program, Aquino progressed through Seattle’s academy system.
He became an important attacking player and helped the Sounders U-17 team win the 2022 Generation adidas Cup.
His performances also earned him selection for the inaugural MLS NEXT All-Star Game in 2022.
Aquino’s ability to create and score goals gradually moved him toward professional soccer. Tacoma Defiance signed him to an MLS NEXT Pro contract ahead of the 2023 season.
For Enrique, Liliana, Edwin and Maritza, that contract represented the next stage of a journey they had followed since Chris began playing in Pasco as a small child.
Chris Aquino and the United States U-17 National Team
Aquino’s youth international career gave his family some of its proudest soccer moments.
After previous involvement with the United States at younger age levels, he was selected for the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship.
Aquino made five appearances and scored twice during the competition as the United States reached the final and qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
His two goals came against the Dominican Republic, producing an emotional celebration among his relatives and friends watching back in Washington.
Aquino described representing the United States internationally as a dream and expressed pride that years of work had allowed him to reach that stage.
Chris Aquino’s American and Mexican Identity
Aquino has both American and Mexican nationality, an important part of his personal and football identity.
He grew up in Washington and represented the United States at youth international level, but Mexico has also played an important role in his career.
That connection became even stronger when he moved to FC Juárez in 2025.
Aquino explained that he had always wanted to play in Mexico and welcomed the opportunity to experience a different football culture.
He also compared his new surroundings with Pasco, noting that the Washington community where he grew up has a large Mexican and Latino population and a similarly passionate soccer culture.
Chris Aquino’s Move to FC Juárez
After developing for years with Seattle and playing professionally for Tacoma Defiance, Aquino decided to seek a new challenge.
He joined FC Juárez’s youth structure and appeared for the Mexican club’s U-19, U-21 and U-23 sides.
The move represented his first major experience playing club football outside the United States.
It also connected him more directly with his Mexican identity. Aquino has said that he hopes eventually to reach the highest possible level and has considered the possibility of representing either the United States or Mexico internationally.
His United States youth appearances do not erase the significance of his Mexican heritage, making his career particularly interesting from an international perspective.
Chris Aquino’s Return to the United States With Colorado Rapids 2
Aquino returned to American professional soccer in February 2026 when Colorado Rapids 2 signed him from his period with FC Juárez.
Colorado gave the midfielder an MLS NEXT Pro contract running through the 2027 season.
The Rapids described Aquino as a creative midfielder capable of delivering in the final third and contributing goals.
He quickly became part of the Rapids 2 attacking group and continued building on the MLS NEXT Pro experience he had previously gained with Tacoma Defiance.
By September 2026, Aquino had made 20 appearances for Rapids 2 during the season, scoring four goals and providing two assists.
Chris Aquino Earns a Colorado Rapids First-Team Opportunity
Aquino’s performances also started generating first-team opportunities.
Colorado called him up from Rapids 2 on short-term agreements during the 2026 season. His first short-term opportunity came around the club’s July friendly against FC Juárez, giving him a reunion with his former organization.
On September 19, 2026, Colorado announced another short-term agreement that made Aquino available for the Rapids’ MLS regular-season match against Seattle Sounders FC.
The occasion connected multiple stages of his career: Colorado represented his current club, while Seattle was the organization where his development accelerated as a 12-year-old.
How Important Is Family to Chris Aquino?
Family has been visible at virtually every major stage of Aquino’s journey.
His father introduced him to organized soccer and continually encouraged him to improve. His mother proudly followed his development even while nervously watching his matches. His siblings understood the game themselves because they had also played competitively.
When Aquino reached international football, relatives and friends gathered together in Pasco to watch him.
Edwin’s comments about having watched his younger brother develop since infancy also reveal how long Chris’s commitment to the sport has been part of family life.
Aquino has additionally spoken about wanting to help other young players from the Tri-Cities area reach professional football, suggesting that his ambitions extend beyond his own career.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chris Aquino’s Family
Who are Chris Aquino’s parents?
Chris Aquino’s parents are Enrique Aquino and Liliana Aquino. Both have publicly spoken about their pride in their son’s soccer career.
Who is Chris Aquino’s father?
His father is Enrique Aquino. Chris has directly credited Enrique with introducing him to soccer, signing him up for teams and pushing him to become a better player.
Who is Chris Aquino’s mother?
His mother is Liliana Aquino. She publicly discussed the pride and excitement she felt while watching Chris represent the United States at youth international level.
Does Chris Aquino have siblings?
Yes. His publicly documented siblings include an older brother, Edwin Aquino, and a sister, Maritza Aquino.
Who is Edwin Aquino?
Edwin Aquino is Chris’s older brother. He played soccer at Pasco High School and later at Seattle University and has publicly spoken about his pride in Chris’s professional development.
Who is Maritza Aquino?
Maritza Aquino is Chris’s sister. She also played soccer at Pasco High School before later pursuing other interests outside competitive football.
Does Chris Aquino have a girlfriend?
As of now, Chris Aquino has not publicly confirmed having a girlfriend, and no reliable source identifies a current romantic partner.
Is Chris Aquino married?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Chris Aquino is married.
Does Chris Aquino have children?
As of now, there are no publicly confirmed reports that Chris Aquino has children.
What is Chris Aquino’s full name?
His full name is Christopher Jesús Aquino Valverde.
Where is Chris Aquino from?
Aquino is from Pasco, Washington, United States, and was born on March 31, 2006.
Is Chris Aquino Mexican or American?
Aquino has American and Mexican nationality. He represented the United States at youth international level and has also played club football in Mexico with FC Juárez.

Ronald Mike is a football writer covering the English Premier League, providing match analysis, tactical insight, and coverage of key rivalries and title races across the season.
