USMNT

Exploring Dual Citizenship in U.S. Soccer: The Rise of Dual Nationals in the USMNT

Published

1 year ago

April 25, 2025

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

Dual-national players have had a significant impact on U.S. soccer, bringing a range of styles and influences that have enhanced the team’s level of play. These players often possess the technical skills, tactical awareness, and experience that make them valuable assets to the U.S. national team.

The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) has been active in recruiting dual nationals, recognizing the growing importance of players born or raised abroad who have ties to the country. As globalization continues, it’s likely that the U.S. will continue to benefit from players who have the option of representing multiple nations.

The 1990s were a pivotal decade for the USMNT, marked by the strategic inclusion of dual-nationals that significantly bolstered the team’s talent pool. This influx of players with diverse international backgrounds allowed the team to compete at a higher level and achieve success previously out of reach. Today, the USMNT faces similar challenges in terms of depth and quality, leading many to wonder if a new wave of dual-nationals will emerge ahead of the 2026 World Cup, potentially reshaping the team’s future prospects.

Here’s a brief history of dual-national players in U.S. soccer:

Early History (Pre-1990s)

Dual-national players existed in the early years of U.S. soccer, there was no distinct “culture” of dual nationals as we know it today. In the early years, the U.S. was not a global soccer power, and many of the players had connections to other countries, but they were not as visible or influential as they would become in the coming decades.

Bert Patenaude (USA/Canada/France) – Scored the first hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history in 1930.

Aldo Donelli (USA/Italy) – Scored all four U.S. goals in a 1934 World Cup qualifier against Mexico.

Joe Gaetjens (USA/Haiti) – Scored the historic game-winning goal against England in the 1950 World Cup but later disappeared in Haiti under Duvalier’s regime.

Frank Borghi (USA/Italy) – Goalkeeper for the U.S. in the 1950 World Cup, born to Italian immigrants.

Harry Keough (USA/Ireland) – Defender on the 1950 World Cup squad, of Irish descent.

Walter Bahr (USA/Germany) – Midfielder and key player in the 1950 World Cup, of German descent.

Werner Roth (USA/Germany/Yugoslavia) – Captain of the U.S. team in the 1970s, born in Yugoslavia to German parents.

The Rise of Dual Nationals

In the mid to late 1980s and 1990s, the USMNT made a concerted effort to identify and recruit quality dual-nationals, significantly strengthening the team as they worked to assemble their best squad for the 1994 World Cup, which they were set to host.

Here is a look at some of the most prominent dual-national players for the USMNT during the 1980s and 1990s.

Hugo Pérez-20 (1984): Pérez held citizenship for both El Salvador and the United States. Pérez became a key player in the USMNT’s development during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Paul Caligiuri-20 (1984): Caligiuri held two citizenships, and his Italian heritage gave him the option to play for Italy. Instead, he chose to represent the U.S. at the international level and became a key figure in the team’s rise in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His commitment to the U.S. national team was crucial in helping shape the team’s success in that era.

Mike Windischmann-18 (1984): Windischmann is a clear example of a dual-national player who had the option to represent either the U.S. or Germany, given his family’s roots. Ultimately, he chose to play for the U.S. national team, and his contributions helped pave the way for U.S. soccer’s future success.

John Harkes-20 (1987): Harkes, with Scottish heritage through his parents, was eligible for dual citizenship. His father, Jim, hailed from Dundee, Scotland.

Jeff Agoos-19 (1988): Agoos holds citizenship in both the United States and Switzerland, where he was born. Despite his Swiss heritage, he chose to represent the USMNT and became one of the country’s most reliable defenders during his international career.

Marcelo Balboa-20 (1988): Balboa was of Mexican descent and had the option to represent Mexico; he is considered a dual-national who chose to represent the United States at the international level. His decision to play for the U.S. was a significant one, and he became one of the prominent figures in U.S. soccer during the 1990s.

Tab Ramos-21 (1988): Ramos holds both United States and Uruguayan citizenship. Ramos had many great moments for the USMNT and played a pivotal role in shaping the development of American soccer during the 1990s.

Fernando Clavijo-33 (1990): Clavijo is a dual-national because he held citizenship in both Uruguay and the United States. Despite his strong connection to Uruguay, he chose to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team during his playing career, where he became an important figure for the national team during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Earnie Stewart-21 (1990): Stewart was born in the Netherlands to American parents and played for both the Netherlands youth teams and the USMNT. Stewart chose to represent the U.S. and had a successful career, becoming one of the most well-known dual nationals in U.S. soccer history.

Thomas Dooley-30 (1992): Dooley is an excellent and notable example of a dual-national player, holding German and U.S. citizenship. He played for the U.S. Men’s National Team despite his German heritage, making significant contributions to the U.S. team’s success in the 1990s. His decision to represent the U.S. was pivotal for the team, especially during the 1994 World Cup and the subsequent years of growth in American soccer.

Roy Wegerle-28 (1992): Wegerle being born and raised in South Africa, became a U.S. citizen in 1991 and represented the United States in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

Claudio Reyna-20 (1994): Reyna was able to obtain a Portuguese passport through his parents. The former USMNT captain was a key figure in four World Cup squads, appearing in three of them throughout his illustrious career.

Predrag Radosavljević-33 (1996): Born in Serbia, Preki made his USMNT debut in 1996 at the age of 33, making him one of the oldest dual nationals to earn his first cap. Although he played in just 28 matches for the U.S., Preki earned a reputation as a “super sub,” often coming off the bench to score and assist in crucial second-half goals for the team.

The Future of Dual Nationals

With the 2026 World Cup just 14 months away and set to return to U.S. soil, will U.S. Soccer and Mauricio Pochettino look to bolster the squad by recruiting additional dual-national talent? With a fully healthy player pool, roster spots on the USMNT are limited. Strengthening the squad’s depth could be a crucial factor in building a competitive team capable of making a deep run on home soil.

Lucho Acosta-30 Reports suggest that Acosta is expected to obtain his U.S. citizenship in early 2025. If he joins the USMNT, he would be one of the older dual-nationals to do so, as he turns 31 at the end of May. His experience and leadership could provide valuable depth to the squad.

Noahkai Banks-18 Banks, recently named to the USMNT’s 60-man provisional roster for the March 2025 Nations League, is a promising teenage center-back who could provide much-needed depth to the squad’s backline.

Nathaniel Brown-21 Brown, a German left-back, could provide the USMNT with much-needed depth at the position but would need to complete a one-time switch to represent the American squad.

Noel Buck-19 Buck, who recently featured for England’s U-21 team, would need to file a one-time switch to rejoin the USMNT after reportedly being mishandled by the previous manager. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, it will be up to Matt Crocker and Mauricio Pochettino to persuade him to return to the American setup.

Cole Campbell-19 Campbell, another dual-national named to the USMNT’s 60-man provisional roster for the March 2025 Nations League, spoke with former USMNT dual-national Aron Johannsson, who is trying to convince him to switch his allegiance from Iceland to the United States.

Anrie Chase-20 Defender Anrie Chase, already competing at a high level in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, previously represented Japan’s U-23 team in 2021 and 2022 before making a single appearance for the U-23 USMNT in October 2023. At the moment, Chase appears more focused on his club career with VfB Stuttgart than on his international future. However, hopefully, Matt Crocker and Mauricio Pochettino will keep the lines of communication open as the USMNT continues to monitor his progress.

Damion Downs-20 Down, the third player on this list to be named to the USMNT’s 60-man provisional roster for the March 2025 Nations League, has been in excellent form with 10 goals and 5 assists in the 2. Bundesliga. His goal-scoring ability adds valuable depth to the USMNT’s striker pool.

Luca Koleosho-20 Koleosho’s club form has dipped in recent months, with playing time becoming increasingly limited. However, as an eligible dual-national, he remains a potential option for the USMNT, which is in need of added depth on the wings.

Conclusion

Dual-national players have played a critical role in the development of U.S. soccer, and this trend is likely to continue in the future. With global scouting networks and more players born abroad to American parents, the U.S. has the opportunity to draw from a diverse talent pool, giving them an advantage in international competitions.

Many believe that dual-nationals only choose the USMNT because they aren’t good enough to represent other countries. While it’s true that some players—past, present, and future—may not have a deep-rooted passion for the red, white, and blue, that doesn’t mean all dual-nationals lack pride in representing the United States. Until FIFA revises its rules regarding eligibility, the USMNT will continue to actively recruit and promote top talent—regardless of background—in its effort to build the strongest possible team.

USMNT

The Next USMNT Star That Never Was: Revisiting America’s Biggest Teenage Prospects

Published

4 days ago

September 25, 2026

Marcus O'Malley

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

With the next wave of highly rated teenagers likely to be brought into the #USMNT during the 2030 World Cup cycle, I decided to look back at some of the young players who were once hyped as the next stars of the U.S. Men’s National Team but never established themselves as regular internationals.

Freddy Adu would seem to be at the top of this list. While he never became a regular for the #USMNT or the world-class face of U.S. Soccer many expected, he still earned 17 caps, scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists. In many ways, he accomplished more at the international level than most of the players who are listed below combined.

Which former USMNT prospects did I miss, players who are no longer playing or are past their prime, who deserve to be on this list?

Cody Cropper – GK – 0 caps

U.S. youth international and longtime goalkeeper prospect who reached the Southampton and MLS systems but never earned a senior cap.

Junior Flores – AM – 0 caps

Creative midfielder who joined Borussia Dortmund’s system as a teenager and was viewed as a major U.S. prospect, but never reached the senior USMNT.

Eddie Gaven – MF/W – 8 caps

Teenage MLS phenom who became a league standout, but despite eight USMNT appearances, his international career never developed further.

Luis Gil – AM – 2 caps

One of the most hyped American midfield prospects of his generation; debuted for RSL at 16 but never translated that promise into a sustained USMNT career.

Emerson Hyndman – MF – 2 caps

Highly rated central midfielder who broke through at Fulham and earned two USMNT appearances, but never established himself internationally.

Perry Kitchen – DM/CB – 5 caps

U.S. youth captain and defensive midfielder who became a regular MLS starter, but his senior international career stalled after five caps.

Will Packwood – CB/DM – 0 caps

Birmingham City prospect who became the youngest American to play in the English Championship, but injuries severely disrupted his development.

Marc Pelosi – LB/CB – 0 caps

Highly regarded defender who moved to Liverpool as a teenager, but injuries and limited senior opportunities derailed his path to the USMNT.

Gedion Zelalem – MF – 0 caps

Arsenal wonderkid and one of the most highly regarded U.S. prospects of his generation. Injuries and inconsistent senior opportunities slowed his development, and he never made a senior USMNT appearance.

The number of young USMNT players in this September/October window is something we haven’t seen in quite some time. Some will catch the eye of newly extended USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, while others may not, but all of them have an opportunity during this cycle to make their case for World Cup qualifying and, ultimately, a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster.

It all starts now, and it should be fun to follow their development over the next four years.

USMNT

Building the Next Generation: Who Should Be on Pochettino’s USMNT Radar?

Published

1 month ago

August 25, 2026

Thomas Deschaine

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

Header_NextGen

With the USMNT manager in place and the new cycle underway it’s time for recently extended Mauricio Pochettino to get some new young players on his radar and what better time to do this than the September/October double FIFA window.

There are several U-23 players like Josh Wynder, Jalen Neal, Rokas Pukstas, Diego Kochen, Jonathan Gomez, Caleb Wiley, Cole Campbell, Chris Brady, Gaga, Slonina, Niko Tsakiris, Damion Downs, and Benjamin Cremaschi who have no caps order less than a handful with the USMNT.

Will USMNT snubs or overlooked players opportunities be during the 2030 cycle look like? Players like Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Camron Carter-Vickers to name a few, we have to wonder how or if they will be part of this cycle of players. I would suggest some will likely get the opportunity in the early part of the cycle but will need to be performing n with their club to remain getting called back into camps.

Integrating a few of these youth USMNT players during each window for the first half of the cycle will allow Pochettino to evaluate them up close and see if there might be a role for them during this next cycle.

It’s extremely important that the USMNT have a few on their current U-20 teenagers’ breakthrough and become a reliable part of the USMNT in the second half of the cycle.

The below players will have an opportunity to play in next years U-20 World Cup being hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as well as hopefully if their clubs release them being part of the 2028 Olympics USA Football squad to hopefully medal for the first time since 1904 when the US had two teams win Silver and Bronze. I think it’s also important to look at these players alongside some of the core USMNT in the upcoming window to see how they can integrate with one another.

Mathis Albert-17-Winger

Noahkai Banks-19-Centerback

Cole Campbell-20-Midfielder/Winger

Zavier Gozo-19-Winger

Julian Hall-18-Winger

Malik Jakupovic-17-Striker

Adri Mehmeti-17-Central Midfielder

Peyton Miller-18-Left Midfielder/Winger

Neil Pierre-18-Centerback

Cavan Sullivan-16-Attacking Midfielder

Whether we see all of these players, or just a handful, through the first half of the cycle, hopefully leading into another Copa América appearance, it’s clear that the time has come for Pochettino to begin integrating the next generation of USMNT players into the senior pool. How quickly that transition happens will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.

USMNT

Mauricio Cuevas Taking “Huge Step Forward” in Liga MX

Published

2 months ago

August 9, 2026

Alex Calabrese

CHICAGO — Four years on from captaining the United States to their last CONCACAF Under-20 title, Mauricio Cuevas is quietly stepping back into the spotlight. Still only 23 years old, the talented right back just moved abroad, leaving his boyhood Los Angeles Galaxy for Liga MX side Santos Laguna in a summer move that slipped under the radar.

“To be able to get sold to a big club like Santos is a huge step forward for me,” Cuevas said in an exclusive interview this Saturday. “From the first day, I knew the challenge coming into it because the club hasn’t been meeting expectations in the past few years. Coming in and trying to be a difference-maker is something that I wanted. It’s a new challenge for me, and overall I’m just super excited.”

New Challenge in Mexico

As a teenager, Cuevas showcased himself as one of the country’s most exciting young fullbacks. Known for his technical prowess and set piece ability, the L.A. area native spent time at Belgium’s Club Brugge before returning to the Galaxy in 2023. There, he won an MLS Cup in 2024, appearing 78 times in total before his departure this summer.

“It’s always tough leaving home,” Cuevas said. “Obviously, it’s my boyhood club. My family still lives there, and I was great with all the guys at the club as well. I knew everybody, from the staff and the front office to the coaches. It’s never easy when you’re leaving home.”

“Honestly, the people in Torreón and Santos have all welcomed me with open arms since the first day. They’re all amazing people. It’s an amazing club and an amazing city.”

The move to Liga MX made sense from a number of angles; Santos manager Renato Paiva wanted a new right back, Cuevas’s Galaxy contract was winding down, and his Mexican passport made a move south of the border quite easy. Since joining, Santos have faced an extremely difficult run of games against CF Monterrey, Atlas, Club América, and New York City FC — all of which Cuevas started.

“It’s been great, to be honest,” Cuevas said of his adjustment to life in Torreón. “There hasn’t been much of an adjustment tactics-wise or playing-wise because Renato, our head coach, has similar concepts to what we had at the Galaxy. The players are really good as well. There’s so much quality on the team.”

“The only thing I’ve probably had to get adjusted to is the weather. It’s a little too hot out there, the sun is beaming a lot. But I love it, man. It’s a super-calm city. It’s beautiful, with great food and great people.”

Back in the U.S.

The game against NYCFC came in Leagues Cup, a competition with a razor-thin margin for error. To advance past the first round, teams ideally need to earn at least seven points from their three matches; after losing to New York City, qualification for the knockout rounds is now nearly impossible for Santos. They’ll face Gregg Berhalter, Robert Lewandowski, and the Chicago Fire on Sunday (8 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple TV) in a game where anything but a win in 90 minutes would certainly eliminate them.

“I think we go into every game with the belief that every game is a must-win for us, so that doesn’t really change much. We know now that there’s more on top of that, we have even more reason to win. We’re just focused on ourselves tomorrow. We had a long travel day yesterday, so it’s all about recovery now and setting a game plan that puts us in the best position to win.”

Having started against the Fire at Soldier Field in 2024 and facing former youth national team teammates Chris Brady and Sergio Oregel, Cuevas will hope to give something extra in this game and help keep Santos alive in the tournament.

“Any tournament that this club steps into, we always have that goal in mind of wanting to bring that trophy back to Mexico, back to Torreón with us. We’re a competitive club. We’re one of the best clubs, history-wise, in Mexico, so we know what this badge carries.”

USYNT Hero

Coincidentally enough, the U.S. U-20s advanced to a fifth consecutive CONCACAF final on Friday, setting up a date with hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Sunday. The semifinal win also qualified the U.S. for next year’s Pan American Games in Lima, ensuring qualification for back-to-back editions.

In addition to being a central figure in the last U.S. U-20 CONCACAF victory in 2022, Cuevas was part of the last Pan Am Games team in 2023; the U.S. finished fourth in an unusual competition that included several intriguing names like Sergio Oregel, Brooklyn Raines, Danny Leyva, and a then-relatively unknown Alex Freeman. For Cuevas, that tournament was a special memory, and one he remembers fondly.

“I remember the whole trip, to be honest. I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great people on and off the field, from the staff to the players – people I’m still in contact with. There are some that are in Liga MX as well, Nico (Carrera), Antonio (Carrera), Danny (Leyva).”

“Every player from that age group and that camp has been doing great. It’s lovely to see, to be honest, seeing everybody shine.”

On the immediate horizon for the U.S. is Sunday’s U-20 final (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on FS2). The Americans will be hoping that this year’s final is more reminiscent of Cuevas’ age group (a 6-0 final win over the Dominican Republic) than the 2024 edition (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Mexico). As is often the case, the U.S. and Mexico will be without many of their top youth players for the tournament due to its concurrence with club games, but that has opened the door for others.

“We have two players from (Santos) that are representing Mexico, so congrats to them,” Cuevas said. “Huge shout out to (LA Galaxy’s) Ruben Ramos as well and Dylan Vanney, who are with the U.S.; they’ve been killing it. I’m just happy for all those guys. Proud of those guys.”