Scouting Nimfasha Berchimas: Charlotte FC teenager and USMNT rising star poised for breakout 2025 after scoring for Manchester United during training stint

Berchimas was born in Burundi, but, since moving to the U.S. as a child, he ultimately became Charlotte FC's first local homegrown star. Over the past few years, Berchimas has gone from Charlotte FC ball boy to the crown jewel of the Queen City club's youth pipeline.

The attacker officially began with Charlotte FC in 2020, two years before the club would first kick a ball in MLS. In November 2022, he signed a homegrown deal with the club at 14 years and 268 days old, making him the sixth-youngest player to sign an MLS deal. Proffering that contract showed just how much faith Charlotte had in the teenager and, so far, he's repaid that them at every level.

Berchimas has largely starred with the club's MLS Next Pro side, Crown Legacy FC, but, beginning in 2024, the forward got a taste of life in MLS. He made his MLS debut against NYCFC in February, making him the ninth-youngest player in MLS history. He then went on to make two more appearances for the club.

Charlotte boss Dean Smith has been determined to ease the youngster into the spotlight. However, Smith also leans on an old adage when it comes to Berchimas and his readiness for life in MLS, saying "If they're ready, it doesn't matter what age they are. If the young lads are ready, then I'll give them the opportunity. They're ready at the moment."

Not only did Berchimas play for the Manchester United U18s during his trial overseas; he scored for them, too. During his December trip to England, Berchimas scored in a match against Burnley, making quite an impression at the club. This wasn't Berchimas' first overseas trial, either - he'd previously trained with Bayern Munich as well, further demonstrating the caliber of club that is interested in signing him. He may be a Charlotte FC star now but, once he's free to move to Europe at 18, it seems like a bidding war may kick off.

Berchimas hasn't just shined at the club level, though. He's represented the U.S. up to the U20 level, even though he won't turn 17 until February. He was the youngest player in the U.S. squad for the 2023 U17 World Cup, where he became the youngest player to score for the U.S. in that tournament since Freddy Adu. He finished that tournament with three goals, surely making an impression on the European clubs watching on.

If there's a word to describe Berchimas' game, it's "danger." It's in the cards on every attack. When Berchimas has the ball at his feet, it's worth stopping to watch.
Part of that is due to his physical gifts, which have allowed him to beat defenders with ease. Even facing off with older opponents, Berchimas has been relatively unfazed. He has shown the quick step to beat a defender in certain situations and the change of direction to beat them in others. Once past his defender, he has no problem dribbling.

Most importantly, Berchimas has a knack for finding the goal, which is something that is almost impossible to teach. His goals for the U.S. youth teams and, more recently, Man Utd, show that he can step up in pressure situations. He clearly has the right mentality, and that'll only strengthen with more experience in those high-pressure environments.

As always with these cases, it comes down to nurturing. How do you give young players the experience they need, and how do they handle adversity when it comes?

Smith is keen to take things slowly with Berchimas, and for good reason. The MLS game is fast-paced and is a major step up from the youth level Berchimas is accustomed to. He never looked out of place in his three MLS appearances, but it's still very difficult to adjust to that pace of play at a young age.

As a forward, Berchimas will also need to adjust to physicality. Berchimas has shown the speed to beat players so far, but he can't just rely on that against top-level MLS defenders. He'll need to get stronger and, and also wiser. Timing runs, making decisions, making the right pass - these are all the last lessons young players must learn. Nad just wow fast he learns them will likely be the determining factor in how many MLS minutes he gets this season.

For all of the physical gifts Tim Weah has, the biggest goal of his career occurred because of his mind. It was his run in behind the Wales defense that led to his opening goal at the 2022 World Cup. It wasn't just his pace; Weah beat Wales with his timing to fulfill what was surely a lifelong dream by scoring at the World Cup.

Berchimas, like Weah when he was a teenager, has incredible skill. He's fantastic on the ball and can really make things happen in the final third. Weah was similar when coming up through the PSG system and the U.S. youth national teams.

The reason Weah is at Juventus, though, is at least partly because of his mind. His intelligence has made him a valuable player for Juve, who have used him as a winger, a striker and a wingback. He's capable of playing all three, both physically and mentally. In this sport, especially at the elite level, ability can take you far, but it's how you develop mentally - especially from ages 17-23 - that can determine what level you'll reach.

For Berchimas to match Weah or other USMNT stars playing at elite clubs, he'll have to develop that side of his game. If he does, there's another fantastic forward coming through the American soccer pipeline.

Preseason begins soon, and with it comes a new chance for Berchimas to push for a first-team spot. If 2024 was the foundation, 2025 might be the year Berchimas builds upon it.

Charlotte opens the MLS season with a trip to Seattle on Feb. 22. Berchimas has been in and around the Charlotte team, but can he assert himself as a starter? Even if it's not by the start of the season, the hope is that he can accumulate some legitimate minutes by the end. It won't be easy to do that, particularly given the fact that Charlotte is being linked with some big attack signings this winter.

The pathway is there, though. As Smith said, if Berchimas is ready, he'll get his chance. The teenager will have reason to believe he is ready, particularly after this Man Utd stint. All that's left is to go out and prove it.