Form on the up: Lerma gets stronger before Dortmund exit | OneFootball

On July 1, 2026, the time will come: Justin Lerma will become a Borussia Dortmund player. But until he moves to Germany, the 17-year-old Ecuadorian is already causing quite a stir in his homeland.

As early as two years ago, BVB secured Lerma’s services. The long-awaited move to the Black and Yellows will finally take place next summer. Despite being just 17 years old, the exceptional talent already has considerable professional experience in his native Ecuador.

The only blemish until now had been the lack of a goal. Shortly before his departure for Germany, the attacking midfielder has now put that behind him: in his 35th appearance for Independiente del Valle, he scored his first professional goal and then enthusiastically celebrated the milestone with his fans on Instagram.

It was the moment of the evening: in the 48th minute of the away match in Ecuador’s Serie A against Delfín Sporting Club, the future BVB player scored his first professional goal on April 22, 2026. The goal was worth double, as it also proved to be the 1–0 winner. Thanks to Lerma’s first goal, Independiente del Valle secured three important points in the title race.

At the top with Independiente

“I thank God for everything. My first goal in professional football,” the future Dortmund player posted proudly. In the days following his success, he kept reliving the moment and shared numerous clips of his goal from a wide variety of angles. The response was overwhelming: the comments under his posts filled up with countless congratulations from fans and companions along the way.

As the club followed it up just three days later with a 2–1 win against Leones FC, Lerma and his team climbed to the top of the LigaPro and remain strong contenders for the title. However, Independiente would have to celebrate a possible championship without its young star, as he will already be in Dortmund by then.

Photo: Getty Images

But Lerma has not only impressed at the national level. In the Copa Libertadores (the equivalent of Europe’s UEFA Champions League), the youngster was in his club’s starting lineup in all three matches this season. With seven points at present, Independiente del Valle has a good chance of reaching the knockout stage.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.