Who is 16-year-old Mathis Albert? American winger makes history in Borrusia Dortmund debut

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A new American has joined the long line of Borussia Dortmund debuts as 16-year-old winger Mathis Albert made his senior debut for the German club on Sunday. Joining the likes of Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, and others who have played for the club, Albert has now become the youngest American to ever play in the Bundesliga, entering Dortmund's 4-0 victory over Freiburg in the 88th minute.

Albert broke Reyna's record as the youngest American to ever play in the Bundesliga after only signing his first professional contract with the club in July of 2025. His appearacnce on Saturday saw his debut come at 16 years and 340 days old. Both Pulisic and Reyna were 17 when they debuted.

A native of Greenville, S.C., Albert was able to obtain French and German citizenship through his parents, allowing him to join the youth reserves of Dortmund in 2024 and leave America before his 18th birthday. A strong dribbler, Albert is at home on the left wing, but being such a young player, it's hard to tell if he will stick there or end up moving central or further back on the pitch.

First start and first match. What a moment. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/LnG9jVx5ku

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) April 26, 2026

Background

Before joining Dortmund, Albert was a member of the LA Galaxy youth academy while also making appearances for the United States youth teams, first being capped at the U-15 level in 2023 before debuting for the U-19 team in March of 2026 in a victory over Wales. He also represented the U.S. U-17 team at the Under-17 World Cup in 2025. Already moving up age levels with the youth national teams alongside making his debut at such a young age, it's clear that the Black and Yellow have a serious talent on their hands. That dual citizenship is something to watch here, though, since while Albert has youth national team caps, he could be eligible to represent Germany or France if one of those nations comes knocking.

It's something that the USMNT are currently experiencing with Noahkai Banks. Called into the USMNT squad during the September international window of 2025, Banks wasn't capped, but he continued to excel for Augsburg, earning the attention of the German national team. Only 19, he now has a decision on his hands of which nation he'd like to commit to. Represent the United States, and there's a chance that he could be in the squad for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but committing to Germany, there's a higher chance that he could win the World Cup in the future. It's a decision that many have to make, but it's also a reason why it can't be assumed that just because someone is born in America, they'll wear the colors.