A. Cunningham

Alex Cunningham's route to Sporting Kansas City's first team ran through the club's own youth system almost from the start. He began playing football at six and joined the Sporting Kansas City Academy in 2019 as a twelve-year-old, part of the U-14 side that won the 2021 US Youth Futsal National Championship. He attended Kansas City Christian School while coming through the ranks, and in August 2023, at 16, he made his debut for the reserve side, Sporting KC II, on an amateur contract before signing a professional MLS NEXT Pro deal.

In 2024 he stepped away from the academy pathway to attend the University of Tulsa, playing for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Across two college seasons he started 28 games, scored three goals and earned All-Freshman honours.

Cunningham returned to the Sporting Kansas City organisation in 2026, re-signing with Sporting KC II for the MLS NEXT Pro season and making nine appearances. That form led to a short-term agreement with the first team, one of four such deals the club had available that season, ahead of a match against LAFC — an internal promotion from the reserve side rather than a transfer with a fee attached. He wears number 42 for the first team and number 87 for Sporting KC II.

He has spent his entire career within the Sporting Kansas City system, aside from his time at Tulsa, with no move to or from any other professional club to date.