Mathis Albert gives USMNT a reason to be excited about his international future
Borussia Dortmund starlet Mathis Albert made his USMNT debut on Saturday. He had been called up by Mauricio Pochettino for their autumn fixtures during this international window and was handed his maiden cap with the Stars and Stripes on Saturday.
It had been a year to remember for the teenager, who became the youngest American to debut in the German Bundesliga at just 16 years and 11 months following his appearance with the BVB in April, after which they rebuffed several loan interests from clubs around Europe as Dortmund saw Albert as part of their long-term plans.
Since his breakout came towards the end of the 2025-26 season though, playing just one match, Pochettino didn't call him up to his 26-man World Cup squad as Albert didn't have enough gametime or club-level experience.
But as the US men's national team has already begun rebuilding for the 2030 edition of the showpiece, the former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager summoned a host of young guns, including 13 who were uncapped such as Albert, to give the next generation a chance to stake their claim.
Though he didn't start against Peru, Albert was subbed into the clash in the second half as part of Pochettino's five-man substitution wave at the hour mark and the BVB starlet's impact was almost immediate.
As he looked to burst inside the box, cutting in from the left, Jesus Pretell brought him down and the referee immediately pointed to the spot although replays suggested that the contact happened just before the line. But since there's no VAR to consult, the decision stayed and Malik Tillman dispatched the penalty with aplomb to make it 2-1.
Albert's introduction added a spark at a time when the USMNT were desperately searching for it, and winning the penalty offered them a clear opportunity to restore their lead for which his teammates Zavier Gozo, Julian Hall and a few others seen lapping him up as Albert was getting back on his feet.
In just 29 minutes of action on his international debut, the 17-year-old completed nine passes, of which six came in the opposition half, underlining his willingness to get on the ball and make things happen in the final third, while also trying his luck at goal with a shot, although it was blocked. He also made one cross, capping off a promising attacking display.
The USMNT play Chile in their next friendly on Tuesday, 29 September and it will be interesting to see if Albert's cameo was powerful enough to convince Pochettino to hand him his first international start for this one.
Today's best reads
Bundesliga's youngest American now set for USMNT debut
Borussia Dortmund: Full list of 15 players called up for international duty!
Nations League roundup, 27 September: Which BVB stars are in action tonight? Here's the full list
"A well-deserved win" - Fans react as Dortmund beat Stuttgart to continue perfect start
What happened on the 3 previous occasions when BVB won their opening four Bundesliga games?
