Yunus Musah: 'I've Been Spoiled by Luck – Now It's Time to Fight for That World Cup Dream'
Yunus Musah opens up on a tough loan spell at Atalanta, bench time, and his USMNT exile, but sees it as perfect prep for the 2026 World Cup. The 23-year-old midfielder, who's scored twice recently after a long drought, insists past luck has made him resilient. He's grafting daily to force a recall under Mauricio Pochettino.
Yunus Musah: Turning Bad Luck into World Cup Fuel
Picture this: a young lad who's had football hand him silver platters since he was a teen, suddenly hits a brick wall. That's Yunus Musah right now, the 23-year-old USMNT midfielder who's been chatting exclusively to GOAL about his rocky season. Far from moaning, he's grinning through the grit, calling it the best thing that's happened to him.
Musah reckons he's been dead lucky up to now. Debuts at Valencia, instant starts under new gaffers, a World Cup nod from Gregg Berhalter – it was all falling into place like a dream. 'Everything went my way,' he admits. But this year? Not so much. And he's loving the test.
A Season of Splutters in Serie A
Loaned to Atalanta from AC Milan in the dying embers of summer, Musah thought he'd landed on his feet. After all, the Bergamo boys pipped Milan by five spots last term and are rubbing shoulders in the Champions League. Dream move, right?
Wrong. Gaffer Ivan Juric got the boot early doors, and Musah's been left warming the bench. Just 16 Serie A appearances, four starts, a measly 515 minutes. In Europe? Six games, two starts, including that spanking from PSG. It's his first proper taste of squad rotation since exploding at Valencia back in 2020, where he racked up 35+ games a season.
"It's all new – loan life, not being the star man," Musah says. He's treating it like a masterclass in resilience. No sulking; just head down, grafting. Blimey, if this doesn't toughen you up for international footy, what will?
It's been a year since he last pulled on the USMNT shirt – March 23 marks the anniversary. He skipped the Gold Cup for rest, then watched from afar as Mauricio Pochettino rebuilt the Yanks, turning a corner without him. Ouch. But with March camp looming and the 2026 World Cup roster weeks away, he's not waving goodbye to his spot.
Goals, Grit, and That Big Motivation
Hold the phone – Musah's sparked life recently. Two belters in March, his first club goals since Valencia in 2021-22. Years without netting at senior level (just five career strikes), and it was eating at him. 'Mental block,' he called it last year. Training? Bang on target. Matches? Zilch.
These strikes? A massive 'about time'. He's eyeing a USMNT recall, and even if it doesn't come straight away, he's all in. "The World Cup's the big carrot at the end," he laughs. It's pushed him harder than ever – no slacking, pure edge-of-the-seat training.
For most, this season would be a World Cup kiss-off. Limited mins, national team exile? Nightmare fuel. But Musah? He's buzzing. "If it hit now, when I'm flying, I'd wonder how I'd cope with the lows. This? It's made me better."
He's got evidence things turn: that teen breakthrough, the World Cup jaunt. Young, hungry, he's betting on a bounce-back. Atalanta hold an option to buy, but his focus is Stateside glory. With Pochettino's rebuild humming, can Musah muscle in?
We're watching. This lad's got the mentality of a scrapper – the kind that wins tournaments. Pub prediction: he'll be on that plane, sleeves rolled up, ready to rumble.