Bernal was born in Mexico and moved to the United States at age seven, earning a work permit through the DACA program.
[1] Bernal played youth soccer with Neusport FC in Las Vegas, winning multiple state cup titles.
[2][4] In 2011, Bernal began attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he played for the men's soccer team.
[10][11][12] On August 31, 2014, scored a hat trick against in a 4-3 victory over the Bradley Braves,[13] a performance which earned him national Team of the Week honors.
[26] After missing the beginning of the season due to visa issues, Bernal made his professional debut on July 24, 2015, in a 1–0 win against the Charleston Battery.