LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky men's soccer program announced 13 new additions to its roster for the 2026 season, including eight incoming freshmen and four collegiate transfers under the direction of head coach Johan Cedergren.

The signings come as the Wildcats prepare for the 2026 fall campaign following a successful 2025 season in which they captured the Sun Belt Conference regular season championship, their eighth conference title in program history. Cedergren, the program's head coach for 15 seasons, has established Kentucky as a consistent contender in NCAA Division I soccer.

The recruitment class features goalkeepers Gilles Monti and Benjamin Rasmussen. Monti joins as a fifth-year graduate student from Switzerland, most recently playing for FC La Chaux-de-Fonds. Rasmussen, a Danish international, transfers from Sønderjyske Fodbold's U19 team and brings strong shot-stopping ability to the position.

Among the four college transfers, Ben Nash moves to Kentucky following his freshman season at Penn State, where he appeared in 14 games with five starts at left-back. Cianole Nguepissi, an English center-back from San Diego State, started 16 of 18 matches in 2025 and was honored as a WAC All-Academic selection. Max Schrader transfers from Rider University, where he started 16 matches during his sophomore year.

The eight freshmen hail from multiple countries, reflecting the international scope of the recruitment effort. Forward Thomas Nielsen comes from Copenhagen, Denmark, while fellow forward Tom Keller joins from Germany after developing at FC Ingolstadt's U19 squad. Midfielder Mats Brune is a product of Borussia Dortmund's youth academy system. Midfielder Ari Saliu of Chicago most recently played for Nashville SC's academy.

Additional additions include forwards Thomas Berteotti from Belgium's RAAL U23 squad and Costa Iliadis, a transfer from Clemson University who most recently played for Toronto FC II. Defender Ilan Ettinger, an Atlanta native, developed through Atlanta United's academy and MLS Next affiliate. Defender Bernardo Bucci transfers from Trestina in Italy's Serie D.