27-year-old midfielder with over 100 USL Championship appearances joins the Lights
Las Vegas Lights FC today announced the Club has signed midfielder Marc Ybarra, pending league and federation approval.
Ybarra is under contract with the Lights through the 2027 season.
The central midfielder made 25 appearances for Rhode Island FC across all competitions last season, helping the team reach the USL Cup semifinals and the USL Championship Eastern Conference Final.
“We’re looking forward to adding Marc to the squad,” said Sporting Director Gianleonardo Neglia. “As we continue to build out our 2026 roster, Marc will bring valuable experience in this league across two successful and competitive teams. He has proven that he can provide the balance of defensive steel and ball-playing ability in midfield, giving us versatile options and a profile that completes our midfield group.”
A product of the Crew Soccer Academy Wolves, a joint venture between Michigan Wolves SC and Columbus Crew, Ybarra played collegiate soccer for the University of Michigan for five years.
He’s the Wolverines’ all-time leader in matches played (91) and runner-up for assists (24), earning All-Big Ten selection honors twice and being selected as the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year in 2021.
In 2022, Ybarra joined the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. He made an impressive 65 appearances for the Steel City side, scoring one goal and contributing with five assists across two seasons, helping the team lift the USL Championship Players’ Shield (awarded to regular season champions) in 2023.
In 2024, he joined USL Championship side Rhode Island FC, anchoring their midfield as they reached the Championship final in their debut season. He made 63 appearances for RIFC, tallying one goal and five assists.
Las Vegas will kick off the 2026 home schedule on Saturday, March 28 against Monterey Bay FC. Tickets are available now at lasvegaslightsfc.com/tickets.
