Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie are some of the biggest American stars who have proven their prowess on the European stage. Following in their footsteps is the 21-year-old versatile left winger Kevin Paredes, who plays for the German league’s VfL Wolfsburg. Paredes, who debuted for the USMNT’s senior team last year, has been called back to its U-23 squad as the Paris Olympics approach under coach Marko Mitrović.
Paredes could have easily turned his back on the USMNT and joined the Dominican Republic’s NT, thanks to his parents’ Dominican roots. So, why did he choose the US? Let’s dive deeper into Kevin Paredes’ family life to find out.
About Kevin Paredes’ Dominican family background
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Kevin Paredes’ parents migrated from the Dominican Republic to the US and settled in South Riding, Virginia, where they welcomed Kevin in 2003. There’s limited information on Paredes’ parents’ professional and educational background, as he has not posted their pictures on social media or mentioned their names in interviews. However, we know that the USMNT prodigy lived with his parents for 18 years, even while playing for USL’s Loudoun United and MLS’s DC United.
10 seconds before we went on air, KP surprised us + joined us live on the @dcunited show 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TuOUOa46GQ
— Claudia Pagán (@ClaudiaMPagan) May 18, 2022
When he moved to Germany to join Wolfsburg, a teenage Kevin Paredes found it difficult to thrive without his parents. “When I wasn’t getting as much time as I wanted to play, I couldn’t go to the next room and put my shoulder around my mom or something like that,” Paredes recalled his early days in Germany during an interview with ASN.
However, he admitted that the experience of leaving had toughened him. While the identities of Paredes’ parents remain ambiguous, they have been familiar faces courtside during their son’s games with DC United.
Why did Kevin Paredes choose Team USA instead of the Dominican Republic?
Kevin Paredes only mulled over joining the Dominican Republic’s NT when he did not see a US call-up coming his way. However, once the US federation recognized Paredes’ talent, he did not hesitate for a moment, as it aligned with his heart’s desire. “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,” said Kevin Paredes in an interview with NBC.
Now, let’s see if Kevin Paredes has any other close ones in his life, other than his parents.
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Does Paredes have siblings? Is he dating someone?
It is ambiguous if Kevin Paredes has siblings, as most biographies on him do not mention any. Additionally, the Wolfsburg winger has not shared any pictures with a sibling on his social media. The same ambiguity surrounds Kevin Paredes’ dating life. His social media is filled with snaps from his soccer games and training sessions, and he has not disclosed anything about his personal life in interviews.
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Kevin Paredes is a huge fan of the Olympics, having been inspired by the heroics of America’s greatest athletes, such as Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. Let’s see if he can also rise to the US’s Olympic reputation, as an array of heavyweight clashes await the USMNT in Paris.
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