Yunus Musah facts for kids
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Musah with the United States at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Yunus Dimoara Musah | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | November 29, 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | New York City, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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AC Milan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 80 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Giorgione | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2019 | Arsenal | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Valencia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Valencia B | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2023 | Valencia | 94 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | AC Milan | 59 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | England U15 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | England U16 | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | England U17 | 9 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | England U18 | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | United States | 47 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:37, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 23, 2025 |
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Yunus Dimoara Musah (born November 29, 2002) is an American professional soccer player. He plays as a midfielder for the Italian club AC Milan. He also plays for the United States national team.
Yunus started his youth career at Arsenal's famous Hale End academy. He began his senior career with La Liga club Valencia in 2020 when he was just 17. He quickly moved up through their youth and reserve teams. At Valencia, he played in 94 league games. In August 2023, he joined Serie A club AC Milan. He has won the CONCACAF Nations League three times with the United States. He was also named the U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year in 2022.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Soccer
Yunus Musah was born in New York City. His parents are from Ghana. His mother was visiting the United States when he was born. After he was born, his family moved to Castelfranco Veneto, Italy. There, he started playing soccer for a local team called Giorgione Calcio 2000.
In 2012, when Yunus was nine, his family moved to London. He joined Arsenal's famous academy. His coach at Arsenal, Trevor Bumstead, said Yunus was amazing. He had great physical skills and a strong desire to succeed. He was willing to play any position to help the team.
Playing for Valencia
In the summer of 2019, Musah joined Valencia in Spain. He was 16 years old. He started with their reserve team, Valencia B. He played his first game for Valencia B on September 15, 2019. He scored his first goal for the team on March 1, 2020.
When a new coach, Javi Gracia, joined Valencia's main team, Musah trained with them. On September 13, 2020, he made his first team debut in La Liga. He was only 17 years and eight months old. This made him the first English and American player to debut for Valencia.
On November 1, 2020, Musah scored a goal against Getafe CF. He was 17 years and 338 days old. This made him the youngest non-Spanish player to score for Valencia. He broke the record held by Lee Kang-in. The next month, he signed a new contract with Valencia until 2026. He was also nominated for the 2022 Golden Boy award. This award is for the best young player in Europe.
In the 2021–22 Copa del Rey, which is a Spanish cup competition, Musah scored in early rounds. In the final game on April 23, his team tied 1–1. The game went to a penalty shootout. Musah was the only player to miss his penalty.
Joining AC Milan
On August 4, 2023, Musah moved to Serie A club AC Milan in Italy. He signed a contract until June 2028. He chose the number 80 jersey, which was once worn by the famous player Ronaldinho.
On September 19, when he was 20, Musah played his first UEFA Champions League game. He came on as a substitute against Newcastle United. On October 7, he made his first assist for Milan. He passed the ball to Christian Pulisic for a goal.
On August 17, 2024, during the first game of the 2024–25 season, Musah helped his team score. He assisted Noah Okafor's goal, which tied the game 2–2.
International Career
Yunus Musah could have played for several national teams. He was eligible for the United States, Ghana, Italy, and England.
Playing for England's Youth Teams
Musah first played for England's under-15s team in 2016. He continued to play for England's youth teams up to the under-18 level. He played more than 30 games for England's youth teams in total.
Playing for the U.S. Men's Team
On November 2, 2020, Musah was asked to join the United States senior squad. He played in friendly games against Wales and Panama. He made his first senior international appearance on November 11, 2020. The game against Wales ended in a 0–0 tie.
Even though Musah played for the United States, England's senior manager, Gareth Southgate, tried to convince him to play for England. However, on March 15, 2021, Yunus Musah officially decided to play for the United States.
Musah played for the U.S. team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was seen as one of the best young players in the tournament. He played very well against England and Iran. In 2022, he won the U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year award. On October 12, 2024, Musah scored his first goal for the United States in a friendly match against Panama.
About Yunus Musah
Musah is a devoted Muslim. He follows the five daily prayers in Islam. He said he enjoys being able to practice his religion. Besides English and Italian, Musah also speaks Spanish very well.
He is known for his great technical skills, how he moves on the field, and his strength.
Career Statistics
Club Games
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Valencia B | 2019–20 | Segunda División B | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | |||
| Valencia | 2020–21 | La Liga | 32 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 29 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | — | 36 | 3 | |||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| Total | 94 | 2 | 13 | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | 108 | 5 | |||
| AC Milan | 2023–24 | Serie A | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | |
| 2024–25 | Serie A | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 80 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 170 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 205 | 6 | ||
International Games
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2020 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | 1 | |
- United States score listed first, score column indicates score after each United States goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2024 | Q2 Stadium, Austin, United States | 42 |  Panama |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Awards and Honors
Valencia
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2021–22 (Finished second in the Spanish Cup)
AC Milan
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2024–25 (Won the Italian Super Cup)
United States
- CONCACAF Nations League: 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24 (Won this North American competition three times)
Individual Awards
- U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year: 2022 (Recognized as the best young male player in U.S. soccer)
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2023 (Named one of the best 11 players in the tournament finals)
See also
In Spanish: Yunus Musah para niños
