Zach Booth grew up watching Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckman, Javier Morales, Nick Rimando and Fabian Espindola. The young Booth would wait after games, trying to get autographs from players.
Now, Booth is the first to play and sign for Real Salt Lake.
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The Eden, Utah, native made his first home start in RSL’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
When the announcer announced Booth’s name in RSL’s starting lineup, it was a “full circle” moment, Booth’s mother, Kelli Booth, told the Deseret News that the Booth family “has been RSL fans for a long time.”
“It was a really cool moment to see it all come full circle and to think that that little boy who had been waiting for autographs and players, and now really, his experience, he was on the opposite side,” she said.
Zach Booth starts trip to Real Salt Lake City
As Kelli Booth watched her son play for the same team her family grew up with, her thoughts turned to those who helped make her son’s dream a reality.
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“I think about all the people who drove him to practice. He owes a lot to his grandma, his grandpa, his dad and his friends’ moms and parents,” she said.
She said football was a way to keep her sons busy when they were young “because you want them to stay out of trouble.” On Saturday, she spotted two fans in the field to her left with her sons’ names on the backs of their jerseys.
“Then you get one of those moments that you only dream about, but you barely dare to dream about it, and here we are,” she said.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Zach Booth (23) passes in front of Seattle Sounders forward Jesus Ferreira (9) during the first half at America’s First Arena in Sandy, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
Zach Booth grew up playing for the La Roca Futbol Club in Utah and later played two seasons at Real Salt Lake Academy. Saturday felt like a football family gathering for the Booths, whose cellphones were flooded with messages of support and some family members, friends, former coaches and neighbors who made the trek to America’s No. 1 stadium to watch the game.
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“It’s been a dream to have him come back and play for his hometown club. He came up through the Real Madrid system, so he’s built for this. We’re excited to have him back here,” said his father, Chad Booth.
At the age of 16, Zach Booth moved to England to join the youth academy of Leicester City Football Club. He has spent the past five years playing in Europe, where his parents would travel to watch him and his older brother, Taylor Booth, play.
In January, Zach Booth joined RSL on loan from Excelsior Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie. He started in RSL’s season opener in Vancouver, but the team lost 1–0 to the Whitecaps.
“This is a dream come true for us. We love this. It’s easier than flying 10 hours to Europe to see him play,” Chad Booth said.
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He added that RSL was a good fit for his son, who played 72 minutes on Saturday before being substituted.
The Booth family: a pair of life-long RSL fans
Kate Booth, wife of Zach Booth, is also an RSL fan. Her grandfather, Dean Howes, is the team’s former chief executive.
“I grew up an RSL fan, my grandfather Dean played a big role in bringing RSL to Utah and I grew up loving this team, so it was really cool to see him love this team as much as I do,” she said.
Kate Booth plays soccer at Utah Valley and actually just came from two pro college games in Provo to watch her husband play.
“It’s great to watch him play. I love watching him have a lot of fun, and also, it’s fun for me,” she said.
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Before Saturday’s game, she said she and her husband were treating the game like any other.
“But I knew there was something special and I loved all the support we got and it was great to see him so excited to play for his home team,” she said.
‘He represents a lot of Utahns’
RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni talks about how Zach Booth’s story inspires young soccer players in Utah.
“I think the great thing is Zach grew up in Utah, and then he left and then he came back,” Mastroni said.
Mastroene had high praise for Booth’s performance on Saturday.
“He’s a great player and he made a huge turn tonight. Playing for the team. I think he played for the club, he played for the state. He represents a lot of Utahns that play and I think it’s obviously a very proud moment for him.”
Real Salt Lake midfielder Zach Booth (23) holds the ball ahead of Seattle Sounders defender Alex Roldan (16) during the first half at America’s First Arena in Sandy, Saturday, February 28, 2026. Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
Zach Booth wasn’t the only homegrown player to make an impact on Saturday. Eighteen-year-old Aiden Hezarkhani scored the first goal of the game and his career.
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Local players Zavier Gozo and Luca Moisa also started and contributed to the victory.
Mastroni noted that the players were not much older than some of the younger fans at the game.
“I think that’s where the magic starts as a kid, when you start dreaming and then you see your dreams come true in the stadium,” he said.
“I think these guys are really pushing how we can continue to play great football here in Utah, and I think that’s already there, but I believe one day I can represent RSL.”