The second meeting against the U.S. came the following year in the opening match of the FA’s U-17 International Youth Tournament held on Oct. 12, 2018 in Chester, England. Largely involved throughout the U-17 cycle, the following May he was selected and assigned the No. 10 shirt for the 2019 UEFA U-17 European Championship but did not appear in any matches as England went out in the group stage.
Had he played in any of the three games he would have been provisionally cap-tied to the Three Lions and would have needed to file a “One-Time Change of Association” request with FIFA to represent any of the other three countries for which he was eligible.
Musah made more than 30 international appearances for England at various age levels, last appearing for the U-18s in 2019.
VENTURE TO VALENCIA
Upon joining Valencia as a 16-year-old in 2019, Musah was immediately assigned to the club’s reserve side which was playing in the Spanish Segunda Division B. One of the youngest players on the reserve roster, he gained valuable experience in his first professional season, making 17 appearances and scoring one goal.
Following his initial campaign, he was invited to spend the 2020-21 preseason with the first team. Seemingly he made quite an impression as manager Javi Gracia not only promoted him to the main squad but handed the 17-year-old the start in Valencia’s season-opening 4-2 victory against Getafe on September 13, 2020.
"I think that, of course, the credit for what players like Yunus do belongs to the player himself,” Gracia said in his post-match press conference. “There is the maturity of a player. Despite his youth, he has shown unusual maturity and, enduring the time he has been on the field, with the level of demand that he has done, it is something to be applauded and we need to take care of him so that he, in the future, continues to grow and contributes much more to Valencia."
A month-and-a-half later, Musah showed his power and breakaway speed to notch his first La Liga goal in a 2-2 draw with Getatfe on Nov. 1. After Valencia cleared a cross from a short corner, Musah collected the ball and went on a blazing 60-yard run before slotting an effort inside the near post. His first goal came at 17 years, 338 days, making him the youngest non-Spanish player to score for Los Murciélagos.
In December, he signed a contract extension that will keep him at La Mestalla through 2026. The 18-year-old is the youngest player in the current Valencia squad and has made 23 league appearances, good enough for second most on the team through 27 matches.
CAN’T SPELL MUSAH WITHOUT USA
Just days after scoring his first goal for Valencia, Musah was called up to the U.S. Men’s National Team for its November 2020 matches against Wales and Panama.
The opportunity came in part thanks to a fortunate connection between the USMNT technical staff and Valencia, where assistant coach Nico Estevez spent eight years working in the club’s Academy and even served as caretaker manager in 2013.
