15-Year-Old Represents Team USA at International Amputee Soccer Tournament
Reading Time: 4 minutes
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Summary:
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15-year-old Liam Fanning makes his international debut for Team USA amputee soccer.
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Team USA falls to Poland and Ukraine at Warsaw’s AMP Futbol Cup 2026.
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Fanning battled bone cancer and underwent rotationplasty surgery at age 7.
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Now a varsity soccer player at Susquehannock High School in Pennsylvania.
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Team USA eyes the Amputee Soccer World Cup in Mexico this November.
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Last June, 15-year-old Liam Fanning played for the U.S. Men’s National Amputee Soccer Team in Warsaw, Poland, marking his debut against two top European amputee soccer teams. His teammates highly praised his talent, stating that Fanning displayed remarkable composure and world-class skill, despite going head-to-head with older, larger players. “There is zero doubt that he is destined for stardom in the amputee soccer world,” his teammates said.
But eight years ago, seven-year-old Fanning doubted that he would ever go back to the sport he loved.
A Diagnosis at Seven
Fanning’s path to the national team started with a limp on the soccer field. In February 2018, doctors found what looked like a benign cyst on his left femur, just above the knee. A follow-up pathology report changed everything: it was osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that most often affects children and teenagers.
His family brought him to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where his care team connected the diagnosis to a rare genetic condition, Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, which explained other health issues since infancy. After weeks of chemotherapy, Fanning and his family chose rotationplasty—a procedure that removes the knee and much of the shin, then reattaches the foot in reverse so the ankle joint can function as a new knee. His surgeon has since described his day-to-day mobility as comparable to that of a standard below-knee amputation.
Finding His Way Back
He did return to the soccer field—and then some. Now a sophomore at Susquehannock High School, Fanning has already participated in varsity games as a freshman. His coach, Brett Maxwell, has watched him transition from relying on his prosthesis for balance to actively hitting the ball with it. “You wouldn’t even know he had the prosthetic,” Maxwell said.
Fanning found amputee soccer while seeking a sport that allowed high-level competition despite his limb difference. In summer 2025, at age 14, he attended his first training camp with the U.S. Men’s National Amputee Soccer Team, describing the experience as “very intense” and “great.” That fall, his journey led him to the quarterfinals of Colossal’s Youth Athlete of the Year Competition, a national award supporting youth cancer research fundraising.
The Debut in Warsaw
Fanning made his debut at the AMP Futbol Cup 2026 on June 20 to 21 in Warsaw, hosted by Amp Futbol Polska. Fanning secured a starting position in his first international game, and the national program highlighted his composure and skill against more experienced opponents as a promising sign for the future.
The tournament featured the U.S. men’s team facing Poland and Ukraine in four matches, proving to be a challenging experience. The U.S. lost all four games: 4-0 and 3-0 to Poland, and 1-0 and 2-0 to Ukraine.
However, the scores weren’t the main focus for Team USA. The trip to Warsaw was seen as preparation for the year’s main event: the 2026 Amputee Soccer World Cup in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, from November 13 to 22, which the U.S. team qualified for by finishing second in 2025.
What’s Next
Fanning, still a sophomore, has already made an international debut, played a varsity soccer season, and received a Youth Athlete of the Year nomination. And his national team teammates say his highlight reel is only getting started.
Related Reading:
Fueled by Support, Amputees Take Their Shot at the Game
14-Year-Old Below-Knee Prosthesis User Defies Odds, Dominates in Three Sports
High School Track Star Excels Despite Double Amputation
10-Year-Old Double Leg Amputee Proves Nothing Can Hold Him Back
