# Yunus Musah
**Yunus Musah** (full name Yunus Dimoara Musah, born 2002 in New York) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for [AC Milan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ac-milan) and the United States men's national team.[1](https://theanalyst.com/players/4380/yunus-musah) • [2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) A product of the Arsenal academy who developed at Valencia, he became a full United States international in 2021 despite youth caps for England, played for the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup, and joined AC Milan in 2023 for a fee of 20 million euros plus add-ons.[3](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) • [4](https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-04/official-statement-yunus-musah)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2002, New York; height 5' 10"[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) |
| Youth career | Arsenal academy 2012–2019; signed by Valencia in 2019 at age 16[4](https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-04/official-statement-yunus-musah) • [2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) |
| Valencia record | 108 official appearances, 5 goals; Valencia's youngest foreign player to debut at Mestalla[3](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) • [16](https://www.valenciacf.com/es-comunicado-oficial-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) |
| AC Milan transfer | 4 August 2023, €20 million plus add-ons; contract until 30 June 2028; shirt number 80[3](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) • [4](https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-04/official-statement-yunus-musah) |
| International choice | Eligible for England, Ghana, Italy, and the United States; committed to the USMNT on March 15, 2021[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) |
| USMNT milestones | Debut at Wales, November 12, 2020; record 1,413 minutes by a USMNT teenager; started all 10 World Cup qualifying appearances[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) |
| Languages | English, Spanish, Italian, and Hausa[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) |
## Early life
Musah was born in New York while his Ghanaian mother was on vacation there, and he grew up in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy, where he began playing soccer.[5](https://time.com/6233404/team-usa-world-cup-qatar-guide/) • [6](https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2021/03/five-things-to-know-usmnt-midfielder-yunus-musah) In 2012 his family moved to London, and he joined the Arsenal academy, rising through its ranks from 2012 to 2019.[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) U.S. Soccer lists his hometown as Castelfranco Veneto and records that he is the middle of five children, with father Ibrahim and mother Amina.[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah)
## Club career
**Valencia.** Valencia signed Musah as a 16-year-old in 2019, and he played one season with the B team before being promoted to the first team for the 2020–21 season.[4](https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-04/official-statement-yunus-musah) • [2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) He made his first-team debut in September 2020, at 17, and became Valencia's youngest foreign player to debut at Mestalla and the second-youngest scorer of an official goal in the club's history, scoring against Getafe on Matchday 8 of the 2020/21 season.[3](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) • [16](https://www.valenciacf.com/es-comunicado-oficial-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) In his debut season he played 18 matches with the first team, 17 in [La Liga](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-liga) and one in the [Copa del Rey](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-del-rey), totaling 1,072 minutes and two goals.[7](https://as.com/us/us/2021/01/11/futbol/1610322712_255879.html) A January 2021 run from the right flank past multiple [Valladolid](https://www.edgepedia.org/valladolid) defenders drew comparisons with Gareth Bale's famous Copa del Rey sprint.[7](https://as.com/us/us/2021/01/11/futbol/1610322712_255879.html) Across four seasons he made 108 official appearances with 5 goals and played in the 2022 Copa del Rey final.[3](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) On February 26, 2022, his 52nd La Liga appearance, in a 1-0 win against Mallorca, he passed Kasey Keller as the USMNT player with the most games played in La Liga.[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah)
**AC Milan.** On August 4, 2023, Milan announced his signing on a permanent basis, with Valencia confirming the €20 million fee plus add-ons.[4](https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-04/official-statement-yunus-musah) • [3](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) He wore number 80 and signed until June 30, 2028.[4](https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-04/official-statement-yunus-musah) His time in Milan has been uneven: by one Spanish account he had played 76 matches with 4 assists for the club, and he appeared to lose the confidence of coach [Sérgio Conceição](https://www.edgepedia.org/sergio-conceicao) after an error against Fiorentina on April 5, 2025, when he was substituted after 25 minutes of a 2-2 draw.[8](https://as.com/us/futbol/yunus-musah-de-promesa-en-valencia-a-fiasco-en-milan-n/) In the 2024–25 season he made 40 appearances in all competitions.[9](https://dknews.dz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/journal-du-10.08.2025.pdf) For the 2025/26 season he moved to Atalanta, where he recorded 2 goals and 1 assist in 29 appearances, 951 minutes across all competitions.[10](https://tactix.football/player/y-musah/2025-26) English clubs have repeatedly shown interest in a return: Milan sought a fee of around €30 million, with Nottingham Forest in talks and Transfermarkt valuing him at around €20 million.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/nottingham-forest-transfer-news-in-talks-with-arsenal-academy-prospect-in-gbp25m-deal-report-signings-rumours-gossip-paper-talk-nffc-afc)
## International career
Musah was eligible to represent England, Ghana, Italy, and the United States, and he played for England from the U-15 to U-18 age groups.[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) In November 2020 he was invited to a United States camp in Wales and made his senior debut in the 0-0 draw there on November 12, 2020, becoming one of 12 players to appear for the USMNT before their 18th birthday.[5](https://time.com/6233404/team-usa-world-cup-qatar-guide/) • [2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) He committed to the United States on March 15, 2021, over the other three options.[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah)
In 2022 World Cup qualifying he started each of his 10 appearances and registered one assist, earning Man of the Match honors in the 0-0 draw at Mexico on March 24, 2022.[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) Before the World Cup he set a new record for most minutes played by a USMNT teenager, 1,413, in the June 14, 2022 Nations League draw at [El Salvador](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-salvador).[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah) He represented the United States at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has won two Concacaf Nations League titles.[3](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04) Under Mauricio Pochettino he scored in the coach's first match in charge, a 2-0 friendly win over Panama in October 2024.[12](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/pdf/2024/10/14/kt_pdf-20241014-1.pdf?ts=223057) U.S. Soccer lists his senior totals at 47 appearances, 1 goal, and 3 assists.[2](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah)
## Playing style
Musah's greatest strength is his ball-carrying ability, which he can use either as the deepest midfielder or in a number 8 role, and analysts have described him as adaptable across positions and roles.[13](https://theanalyst.com/articles/will-someone-please-give-yunus-musah-a-more-central-role) • [14](https://ballsandcones.wordpress.com/) His 2020/21 Valencia scouting report identified clear weaknesses for an 18-year-old: he often received the ball without scanning his surroundings, found it difficult to turn with the ball, and was active mainly when in possession, which made him easy to mark.[15](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/analysis/yunus-musah-202021-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics) That season his forward passes ratio was just 19.34%, and he ranked sixth-worst among La Liga midfielders in passes per 90 at 21.02.[15](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/analysis/yunus-musah-202021-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics) The same report noted that his high volume of dribbles and offensive duels partly reflected tight marking, and that with coaching he had the conditions to become a complete midfielder combining technique, progression, and physical presence.[15](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/analysis/yunus-musah-202021-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
## References
1. [Yunus Musah, Opta Analyst player page](https://theanalyst.com/players/4380/yunus-musah)
2. [Yunus Musah, U.S. Soccer official profile](https://www.ussoccer.com/players/m/yunus-musah)
3. [Official Statement: Yunus Musah, Valencia CF, 4 August 2023](https://www.valenciacf.com/en-official-statement-i-yunus-musah-2023-08-04)
4. [Official Statement: Yunus Musah, AC Milan, 4 August 2023](https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-04/official-statement-yunus-musah)
5. [Your Complete Guide to the U.S. Men's National Team at the 2022 World Cup, TIME](https://time.com/6233404/team-usa-world-cup-qatar-guide/)
6. [Five Things to Know: USMNT Midfielder Yunus Musah, U.S. Soccer](https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2021/03/five-things-to-know-usmnt-midfielder-yunus-musah)
7. [Comparan a Yunus Musah de USA con Gareth Bale, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2021/01/11/futbol/1610322712_255879.html)
8. [Yunus Musah, de promesa en Valencia a fiasco en Milán, AS](https://as.com/us/futbol/yunus-musah-de-promesa-en-valencia-a-fiasco-en-milan-n/)
9. [Dimanche 10 août 2025, DK News (PDF)](https://dknews.dz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/journal-du-10.08.2025.pdf)
10. [Yunus Musah 2025/26 stats, TACTIX](https://tactix.football/player/y-musah/2025-26)
11. [Nottingham Forest in talks with Arsenal academy prospect, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/nottingham-forest-transfer-news-in-talks-with-arsenal-academy-prospect-in-gbp25m-deal-report-signings-rumours-gossip-paper-talk-nffc-afc)
12. [Kuwait Times sports section, 14 October 2024 (PDF)](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/pdf/2024/10/14/kt_pdf-20241014-1.pdf?ts=223057)
13. [Will Someone Please Give Yunus Musah a More Central Role?, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/will-someone-please-give-yunus-musah-a-more-central-role)
14. [Balls and Cones: player analysis of Yunus Musah](https://ballsandcones.wordpress.com/)
15. [Yunus Musah Scout Report at Valencia 2020/2021, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/analysis/yunus-musah-202021-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
16. [COMUNICADO OFICIAL, YUNUS MUSAH - Valencia CF](https://www.valenciacf.com/es-comunicado-oficial-yunus-musah-2023-08-04)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of North and Central America and the Caribbean › United States men's soccer players*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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