The inside story of how USMNT star Musah could have played for England

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- Yunus Musah volition beryllium a centerpiece for the US men's nationalist team erstwhile it faces England successful a captious World Cup radical signifier lucifer connected Friday, but helium was adjacent -- very, precise adjacent -- to playing for the different side.

In fact, if not for a quirk of scheduling due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic 2 years ago, Musah -- who spent his teenage years increasing up successful London and representing England's younker nationalist teams -- would apt beryllium featuring for the Three Lions instead.

"We talked astir it truthful overmuch due to the fact that determination were a batch of feelings," Musah's older brother, Abdul, told ESPN. "Looking back, the concern was truthful unusual. But I retrieve picking up Yunus astatine the airdrome aft helium came backmost from his archetypal clip with the US and I said, 'How was it?' and helium looked astatine maine and helium said, 'I'm not going anyplace else.'"

That decision seems elemental enough, but getting to it was really rather tricky. Musah's archetypal clip with the US came successful November 2020 -- a lucifer model that would usually person staged World Cup qualifiers, but lone consisted of friendlies due to the fact that of planetary question chaos amid the pandemic. This turned retired to beryllium a cardinal improvement for Musah due to the fact that by rule, a subordinate with eligibility for aggregate nations becomes committed to a state erstwhile they play successful a senior-level authoritative crippled for that country. Friendlies don't count.

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So, if determination had been the regularly scheduled qualifiers alternatively of exhibitions, Musah, who was calved successful New York City to Ghanaian parents (his parent was connected abrogation astatine the time) and was raised successful Italy and England, apt would person turned down the US invitation to camp. "I don't deliberation helium would person gone if helium knew that going would person made the decision," Abdul said, adding that helium and Musah were "very honest" with the England federation officials astir Musah's intentions.

"We spoke astir it astatine home. We had to beryllium truthful grateful to them," Abdul said, referencing his member having played much 30 matches for England astatine the younker level. "But yet the determination comes down to: Can you chose them for what they person done?"

"Obviously they tried to person america to stay. Some whitethorn reason that they could person done more. But Yunus wanted to effort it."

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Musah's transportation to the different young rising stars connected the US squad was immediate. Obviously playing clip and a much cardinal spot wrong a squad are ever factors for a dual-national, but contempt the family's transportation to London, Abdul said helium could consciousness his brother's passionateness astir the US instantly aft those archetypal exhibitions against Wales and Panama.

The US initially made interaction with Musah done Nico Estevez, an adjunct for the US who had connections astatine Musah's club, Spanish LaLiga broadside Valencia. Musah's conversations with US manager Gregg Berhalter were surely positive, but it was the ambiance helium felt among the players successful campy that truly intrigued him.

"It was arsenic if we've seen each different oregon met each different before," Musah told ESPN aft finalizing his decision. "And that that helps maine due to the fact that I'm new, and they welcomed maine truly well. In the end, we played 2 games truly good and besides had fun."

Although he's little good known among casual US fans than Christian Pulisic, for example, Musah -- who volition crook 20 connected Nov. 29, the time the US faces Iran successful its past radical signifier lucifer -- has been the prime of galore observers to beryllium the adjacent American breakout superstar. His beingness successful midfield and his quality to determination the shot guardant into unsafe positions tin alteration a game, portion his property -- helium unofficially has the widest grin connected the US squad -- is relentlessly upbeat.

Abdul says his member has ever been that way, adding that their full household was raised to beryllium humble and grateful for that which they have. In fact, erstwhile Musah was considering which English academy squad to join, helium was connected the verge of signing with Chelsea but joined Arsenal astatine the past infinitesimal due to the fact that it was person to his location successful East London, and the old-style clubhouse reminded him of the much ramshackle squad helium had played for arsenic a lad successful Italy. "The infinitesimal you entered, it felt similar home," Abdul said.

With Ghanaian, English, Italian and American sensibilities, Musah's full beingness feels similar a unsocial mixture. The lone Muslim connected the US team, he's been precise alert of the differences that travel with being successful Qatar -- the telephone to supplication tin often beryllium heard during US grooming -- but the information is that his regular daily has ever been an amalgam of cultures.

At location successful Spain, Musah and Abdul, who lives with him, dip successful and retired of aggregate languages, sometimes defaulting to Italian but past switching to English if they're talking about, say, the Premier League. They emotion Ghanaian food, similar jollof rice, but besides are inactive precise picky astir having their pasta prepared successful the bluish Italian benignant since that is wherever they lived until Musah was nine. Their wit whitethorn skew much British, Abdul said, portion Musah's philharmonic and amusement tastes hedge American. If helium gets a cold, they autumn backmost connected Ghanaian herbal remedies.

It is simply a tapestry. And for Musah, the comfortableness helium feels to beryllium each of those things is ne'er astatine contented erstwhile he's with his American teammates. He tin explicit himself, some arsenic a idiosyncratic and a player. And that quality inspires a happiness successful him that makes his full household grateful.

"From that archetypal time, helium felt arsenic if helium belonged," Abdul said. "England was astonishing for him. But helium feels truthful arrogant to beryllium representing the USA. It's wherever helium wants to be."