Brenden Aaronson, a 25‑year‑old midfielder who has been a mainstay for Leeds United in the English Premier League, surprised fans by absenting himself from a scheduled U.S. World Cup training session this week.
A Wedding Before the Tournament
Aaronson used the missed session to exchange vows with his longtime girlfriend Milana D’Ambra, a union that has been in the works for several years and was celebrated in a private ceremony attended by close family and friends.
Milana is the daughter of Don D’Ambra, the longtime coach of the Saint Joseph’s men’s soccer program, giving the couple a direct link to one of the nation’s respected soccer families.
The midfielder hails from a tightly knit soccer lineage: his brother Paxten currently plies his trade with the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, while his sister Jaden previously played for Villanova University, and their father Rusty serves as the sporting director of Real Futbol Academy in Medford, New Jersey.
Aaronson’s situation is not unique in U.S. soccer circles; in 2016 the federation allowed then‑rising star Christian Pulisic to skip a training camp in order to attend his high school prom, a decision that was later vindicated when he returned in time for a Copa América match against Bolivia in Kansas City.
The nuptials underscore a growing trend where personal milestones are being balanced with international commitments, a balancing act that the U.S. coaching staff appears willing to accommodate when the circumstances are clear and the player’s focus remains on both family and national duty.