At only 21 years old, Kevin Paredes already is one of the brightest American soccer stars playing in Europe.

Since he first signed a professional contract with MLS Club DC United in 2020 at age 17, the soccer phenom has proven he could achieve anything in his career with the power of grit and determination. 

Playing as a pacey defender or winger on the left flank of the pitch, he logged three goals and two assists over the span of two seasons with DC United before earning himself a $7 million move to Bundesliga club Vfl Wolfsburg in January 2022. Paredes went on to improve his skills and had a breakthrough year this past season by scoring three goals in 28 matches while being an impact player both when starting and coming off the bench, often getting the comparison to world-class players like Alphonso Davies.

His form overseas caught the attention of the U.S. men’s national team and he received his first call-up for two friendly matches in August of 2023, in which he played in both games. 

After continuing to impress with Wolfsburg, Paredes was a regular feature for the Olympic training camps in the past year, and on July 8, he was named to the roster to play at the 2024 Paris Games. 

But even though everything on the surface looks bright and happy for Paredes, he has faced challenges along the way. As the U.S. men’s team prepares to play at the men’s Olympics soccer tournament for the first time since 2008, I sat down with Paredes for an exclusive, unedited conversation to discuss his excitement representing the national team, his European soccer journey with Wolfsburg so far and the importance of his Dominican heritage. 

Leo Santos: Kevin, how are you?

Kevin Paredes: Doing good, just here in France working hard with the group. So, excited for what’s to come. 

LS: I can imagine, the Olympics are very much nearby! So let's get into it. How would you sum up your time at Wolfsburg so far?

KP: It's been an uphill journey so far. It started a bit not on the best side. There was a lot of adaptation, getting used to living abroad and playing with a whole new team and learning a new language and everything. It wasn’t the best start and I had little playing time, but this team I’m part of is like a family. It's going well now that I'm playing for a team that loves me..

LS: How’s your German on a scale of one through 10?

KP: I’ll say around a four or five. It’s not great.

LS: Well I’m pretty sure German is a hard language to learn so no worries there. What are some of your long-term goals for your club career?

KP: My focus right now is earning a starting spot on my team and contributing to the team with goals and assisting week in and week out. Long term, though, I think everyone's aspirations is to play in the biggest leagues like the Premier League, but I'm really happy where I'm at right now, especially with the push and the drive that Wolfsburg is pushing on me. I'll continue to give my best for this club.

LS: Let’s talk a little bit more about the Olympics. How are preparations going for you and what's the morale like within the team heading into the Games? 

KP: It’s been intense because everyone can feel we’re getting close to the first big game, but our preparations have been good after the friendly matches. I feel like the morale in this team is good and we're hungry to win. We know that we have a tough first opponent against France and I think this is the game that everyone has in their mind at the moment. But we don't care that it's France and we're playing at their home, or all this chatter that they're the favorites. We're going there to win. That's what I like about this group and that's what I like about this coach. The only thing that he cares about is just winning and we're gonna get it done by any means.

LS: Speaking of that opening game against France, they have no Kylian Mbappe but it’s still a very stacked team. So what’s it like preparing for that game?

KP: I feel like it’s just another game to play, but definitely a game that's going to be a bit more intense than others. But I have full confidence and full faith in my team that we're gonna go out there and do our job. I think we all as a team have gone up against or had some sort of experience against these top players before. There’s not any nervousness or anything like that going through my head, and I can definitely see that it's not going through all the other players’ heads as well. I think we're ready for this game. This is a game that we all would love to play and I think when we all talk about playing in the biggest stages, I think we have a perfect opportunity to do that in the first game of the Olympics.

LS: In the U.S., the Olympics is like the pinnacle of all sports. Even though the men’s soccer tournament is for under-23 players, it’s still a big deal for you guys as American athletes to perform. What’s it like for you to represent Team USA at the Olympics?

KP: It's a special moment and I'm so honored that I’ll be able to represent the U.S. When you hear the Olympics, you think about all the other sports and other players, like LeBron James. You hear all these athletes going to the Olympics, and I'm going to be a part of it. I think that's so special how we as athletes and country can come together for one event in France and represent each other at the highest level. Everyone wants a gold medal and that’s what we’re pushing for.

LS: Joining the team with you guys in France is going to be Walker Zimmerman as one of the overaged players on the roster. He played all games at the 2022 World Cup, so what's it like to have a veteran player like that on the team?

KP: Walker's presence around this team is strong and noticeable. He’s a leader and you can tell by how he speaks to us, how he carries himself. To have someone with that much experience help us young guys with how to go about this tournament is very important for us to have. He’s a really good guy when you get to know him off the pitch as well. He’s competitive and he's also here to win.

LS: I want to talk about your Dominican heritage. Both of your parents are from the Dominican Republic, so could you tell me how your heritage and culture have helped you become both the person and player that you are today?

KP: Both my parents are from the D.R. and they came to the States with absolutely nothing at a teenage age. Since then, they pretty much worked for everything that they've gotten in their life. That's a bit about how like I’ll say my game is as well, just to work hard as much as possible. I also always have a smile on my face because I've never seen my parents down at all. Even after long nights of working and studying and all that they went through, they always have a smile at the end of the day. That's something I like to push on to my game as well – work as hard as I can but at the end of it, enjoy it and have so much fun with it.

LS: The Dominican Republic men’s team qualified for its first-ever Olympic soccer tournament. When you heard the news about this, was there a smile on your face or a sense of joy knowing that the country where you get your heritage from got to qualify for such a big tournament?

KP: Definitely, it’s nice to see them in the tournament as well. Crazy enough, it could have been me playing with them at some point, but some unfortunate events happened that made me not part of that team at an early age, but that's the past. I'm really happy to represent Team USA now. But yeah, just to see the progress they made compared to a couple of years ago when they were not qualifying for anything, not winning any games to now just seeing them be at the under-20 World Cup and now in the Olympics. That's a big step for Dominican soccer. I’m really happy and proud of them. I know my parents will also be watching their games on top of mine.

LS: Hypothetically speaking, let's say the U.S. and the D.R. face each other in the knockout rounds, how will you approach that game?

KP: I think I will take that game a bit more personally than other games because of just how some things have panned out between the D.R. soccer federation and myself in the past. Even though I love the D.R., my family and everything, I would definitely want to win against them.

LS: There have been players from top clubs across the world who have chosen to represent the D.R. in recent years. For example, Junior Firpo, who used to play for FC Barcelona, and Mariano, who used to play for Real Madrid, are now playing for the D.R. I know you’re cap-tied to the U.S. and your international goals are with the U.S., but from the perspective of a soccer fan, does it make you happy knowing that the country where your parents are from and where you get your heritage from is becoming more competitive in the sport?

KP: Yes, I’m super happy and super proud of that. When you have players coming in that play for the best clubs in the world and want to play for the D.R., I think that’s such a special moment. It’s also an important stepping stone for Dominican soccer to get players with D.R. heritage and buy into representing their country. A lot of these Spaniard players are also from the D.R., so it’s important to get them introduced to the D.R. way and hopefully strengthen their team. It’s really nice to see.

LS: What's your favorite Dominican food?

KP: The classic rice, meat and chicken combo. My mom makes them crazy good so I'll say that.

LS: Coming up in your international career, you were a dual-national player with you being Dominican-American. There are a lot of other dual-national players in this sport who are going to have to navigate which country they want to represent. If there are dual-national players who come to you and ask for your advice on who should they represent, what would you tell them?

KP: From an early age, I always knew I wanted to play for the U.S. at some point in my career. At one point, I didn’t see that dream happening so that’s why I wanted to potentially start playing for the D.R. But my advice would be to go where your heart tells you to go play. My heart always told me to play for Team USA. It was because I lived in the States and I saw the opportunities that the States gave to my parents. That’s something that I really took to heart. That's what I would say, to go where your heart feels the most loved.

LS: Last year was such a big year for you. You were named the 2023 U.S. Young Player of the Year and signed for Roc Nation International. How do you deal with having all of this recognition at such a young age and early on in your career? 

KP: It's definitely nice to know that my hard work is being noticed and that my game is speaking for itself. I'm definitely the guy that wants more. I want to continue to win these types of awards, strive for my club and country and play in the World Cup. I have all these dreams and aspirations, but I know they’ll only pan out if I continue to keep my head down, stay humble and work hard. Those opportunities can start by playing well at the Olympics, and everything happens for a reason. I know if I continue to play my game and help as much as possible for my club and country, then my dreams and my goals will unfold right in front of me.

LS: What are some of your favorite sports played at the Olympics besides soccer? And do you have a favorite Olympian?

KP: This might be surprising because I can't really swim, but I loved watching swimming, particularly because of Michael Phelps. The amount of gold medals he wins I think it's quite insane. It's not luck that he got that many medals. It's hard work for sure, but I also enjoyed his mentality and how he was gonna go into each race and just beat everyone. That’s a special trait to have. I would also watch basketball, I love it. If I were just taller, I think I would love to be a basketball player. But the height definitely plays a big factor. I remember watching the basketball games, especially the one with Kobe Bryant in the Spain final, I think that was another special moment to see Kobe, LeBron, Chris Bosh and all these types of top basketball players playing at the Olympics.

LS: What's your height right now, if you don't mind me asking? 

KP: Wikipedia has me at 5-foot-6 and I think we need to change that. I’m a 5’9' giant! When my friends or someone looks me up, they say that I’m 5’6' and I’m getting tired of it because I’m no longer that short. 

LS: What’s one thing you’re looking forward to on the field this summer in France and one thing you’re looking forward to off the field?

KP: On the field, I’m looking forward to that final game when we win the gold medal. I think that’s set in stone. Off the field, being around the guys is always a really fun time, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to possibly meet LeBron or one of the NBA players that will be at the Olympics. Anthony Edwards is someone else I want to meet as well. But getting the chance to watch some of their games would be really cool, too. 

LS: Kevin, I appreciate your time, and best of luck to you and the team at the Paris Olympics this summer! 

KP: Yes sir, thank you so much. Appreciate it.