Kevin Jesús Kelsy Genez (born 27 July 2004) is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish Premiership club Rangers and the Venezuela national team.
Club career
Early career Having broken into the first team at Mineros de Guayana in 2021, Kelsy went on to establish himself in the 2022 season, scoring his first goals for the club. Kelsy transferred to Uruguayan Primera División club Boston River on 1 January 2023. He was subsequently transferred before making any appearances for the Montevideo-based side.
Shakhtar Donetsk On 31 January 2023, Shakhtar Donetsk announced the signing of Kelsy from Boston River on a contract until the end of December 2027. He signed with the Ukrainian club during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On 23 February 2023, Kelsy was a substitute during the Europa League Playoff 2nd Leg against Rennes. In the penalty shootout he scored the deciding goal that took Shakhtar Donetsk to the Round of 16.
On 19 September 2023, Kelsy scored on his UEFA Champions League debut against FC Porto in a 3–1 loss, becoming the fourth-youngest South American to score in the competition behind Roque Santa Cruz, Lionel Messi and Rodrygo.
FC Cincinnati On 30 April 2024, MLS side FC Cincinnati announced Kelsy's acquisition via loan for the remainder of the 2024 season with an option to buy as part of the MLS U-22 initiative program.FC Cincinnati acquire Kevin Kelsy on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk (https://www.fccincinnati.com/news/fc-cincinnati-acquire-kevin-kelsy-on-loan-from-shakhtar-donetsk) 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024. On 11 May 2024 Kelsy scored his first goal for the club as part of a 2–1 win over the Columbus Crew in the Hell is Real Derby.
Portland Timbers On 25 January 2025, Kelsy completed a transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk to the Portland Timbers for a fee reported to be near $6 million. Kelsy signed a four-year contract with a club option for a fifth year.Timbers sign forward Kevin Kelsy (https://www.timbers.com/news/timbers-sign-forward-kevin-kelsy) 22 January 2025. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
Additionally, Portland sent $75k in General Allocation Money with performance-related escalators to FC Cincinnati for Kelsy’s MLS rights.
Kelsy made his Timbers debut in a 4–1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on 23 February. He tallied his first goal for Portland in his fifth league appearance for the club, a 3–0 home win against the Colorado Rapids on 22 March.Timbers down Colorado Rapids in 3-0 shutout win on the road (https://www.timbers.com/news/recap-timbers-rout-rapids-3-0-in-colorado) 22 March 2025. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
Rangers On 3 September 2026, Kelsy signed for Scottish Premiership club Rangers on a four-year deal with the option of an additional year for a fee of £9 million ($13 million), which could rise with add-ons becoming Rangers second most expensive signing after Tore Andrè Flo in 2000 this was also a club record sale for Portland Timbers with a sell on clause also being reported to be in place. He made his debut two days later in a Scottish Premiership match against Motherwell coming on as a 69th minute substitute for Kim Min-Su with Rangers winning the match 1–0. On 13 September 2026, he scored his first goal for Rangers and got an assist against Old Firm rivals Celtic in a 3–0 victory at Ibrox in a Scottish League Cup quarter-final match.
Career statistics
Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsMineros2021Venezuelan Primera División90————902022Venezuelan Primera División245————245Total335————335Shakhtar Donetsk2022–23Ukrainian Premier League145——31—1762023–24Ukrainian Premier League13220—51—203Total27720—82—379FC Cincinnati (loan)2024Major League Soccer236—40—20296Portland Timbers2025Major League Soccer3371131—404192026Major League Soccer209—31——2310Total53161162—406419Rangers2026–27Scottish Premiership30001100—41Career total1393431113826016740
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearApps GoalsVenezuela202540202631Total71
Scores and results list Venezuela's goal tally first. + List of international goals scored by Kevin Kelsy No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition1 28 September 2026 Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan 1–0 1–2 Friendly
Honours Shakhtar Donetsk Ukrainian Premier League (2): 2022–23, 2023–24 Ukrainian Cup: 2023-24
References
External links