MADISON, Wis. - Forward Madison FC today announced it has signed 17-year-old midfielder Julio Benitez on a season-long loan deal from Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake, pending league and federation approval. The 5-foot-8 Arizona native heads to Madison having most recently played for Real Monarchs.

“Julio is a young, exciting player who’s hungry to improve his game and prove himself,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said.

Benitez kicked off his club career with the Real Salt Lake academy in 2019. The midfielder spent two seasons with the academy, where he logged four goals in 17 appearances. At the age of 16, Benitez joined RSL's affiliate Real Monarchs. Across USL Championship (2021) and MLS NEXT Pro (2022) play with the Monarchs, Benitez made 14 appearances and totaled 686 minutes.

A former United States youth international, Benitez made two appearances in 2019 with the U.S. U-15 Boy's National Team against Russia and Poland as part of the UEFA Development Tournament.

In 2022, Benitez was signed as RSL's 29th all-time Homegrown Player.