da roleta： The rising star recently joined up with U.S. Soccer, becoming the latest dual-national to commit to the program

da fazobetai： The ties between US soccer and Borussia Dortmund already run deep. Christian Pulisic was the trendsetter, the first American to burst onto the scene at one of the sport's biggest clubs. Gio Reyna soon followed and, despite some recent turbulence, has had plenty of bright moments during these initial years in the black and yellow.

Behind them, though, is another American rising through the ranks. Until just a few weeks ago, Borussia Dortmund starlet Cole Campbell wasn't eligible to play for the U.S but a chance meeting with a former national team star convinced him to make a big switch.

Now committed to the USMNT program, Campbell has immediately become one of the more talked-about prospects in American soccer. But who is Campbell and what does his path forward look like with both the U.S. and Dortmund? GOAL has you covered…

Getty ImagesWhere it all began

Campbell was born in Houston to parents with deep roots in soccer. His mother was an American-born Icelandic international named Rakel Karvelsson. His father was a pharmaceutical executive, Lance Campbell, who also played at the college level. They gave Campbell something of a head start in the sport, for sure.

During his youth, Campbell's family moved to Georgia, where he eventually linked up with the Atlanta United Academy. In 2020, though, the Campbells moved to Iceland to take care of the forward's maternal grandmother. Campbell had spent plenty of his youth in Iceland, visiting during summers. It was a natural transition, on and off the field.

As a player, he continued to grow after signing with Fimleikafeeag Hafnarfjardar, making his first-team debut in 2021 to become the second-youngest player in league history. His rise brought him into the Iceland U-17s, too, where he made several appearances in 2021.

After just two appearances for his club, it was announced that Borussia Dortmund had swooped, sealing a deal that would bring the forward to Dortmund in the summer of 2022. According to , Bayern were also in pursuit of Campbell, who was ultimately convinced by Dortmund legend and current youth coordinator Lars Ricken to don the black and yellow.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

During a short stint with Icelandic side Breidablik prior to his Dortmund move, Campbell took the field against Aron Johannsson, who was suited up on the other side for Valur. Like Campbell, Johannsson was an American-born Icelandic international. He too had his foot in both worlds and, in 2013, Johannsson made what was one of the most important decisions of his life, filing a one-time switch to leave Iceland and join the USMNT, who he would go on to represent at the World Cup one year later.

After that game, the ex-USMNT striker became Agent Johannsson, and he ended up being a vital recruiting tool for the USMNT.

“It's kind of funny,” Campbell told American Soccer Now. “I had never met him before but he came over to me and he was like 'You're Cole, right?' I said yeah. Then, he told me I’ve got to consider playing for the US. I was like, 'Really?' And he said 'It's such a great opportunity. It's such a big, big thing.' He said he would do it all over again if he could. It kind of got me thinking.”

After his move to Dortmund, U.S. Soccer really ignited the recruiting process. He was visited by Marco Mitrovic, the then-U.S. U-19 coach who is now in charge of the Olympic team. From there, it all snowballed, leading Campbell to recently commit to the U.S. with a one-time switch.

“The U.S. came calling and really pursued me. I felt really wanted,” he said. “At the end of the day, I had to just look and say, 'Iceland was good, but the U.S. is a huge opportunity.' I felt like that was what was best for me. That's why I made the switch.”

How it's going

It's safe to say that Campbell's impact on the U.S. program was immediate. Upon filing his one-time switch, he was called into the U.S. U-19 camp for a pair of friendlies against England and Morocco. It didn't take long for him to make his presence felt.

In that first friendly against England, Campbell scored the opening goal just 15 minutes in. He went on to score another shortly after the start of the second half, helping lead the way in a 3-2 win. It was one hell of a first impression.

On the club level, Campbell is also making progress. He's still a part of the Dortmund U-19s, but he has been called up to train with the senior squad on several occasions. He was even included in the club's first-team training camp in Spain during the Bundesliga winter break, showing just how highly he is rated.

Biggest strengths

Primarily deployed as a winger, it's been made quite clear that Campbell is a player who has a knack for contributing to goals. Across 23 appearances for Dortmund's U19s comprising just over 1,500 minutes, Campbell scored three times and racked up nine assists. Those are decent numbers, even for a club like Dortmund that will be outclassing opponents much of the time.

A right-footed player, Campbell is versatile, able to play on either wing or centrally as more of a No.10 if needed. Campbell's movement is fantastic, as are his skills on the ball. He's comfortable taking players on, cutting inside from the wing intending to do damage.

There are few clubs in the world better at developing talent than Dortmund, particularly in attacking areas. Pulsiic, Reyna, Jaden Sancho, Jamie Byneo-Gittens… we won't even get into Jude Bellingham and Erling Halaand.

Campbell clearly has the skills to play at a top level, and he's in the perfect place to evolve those skills in a way that gets him ready for what's ahead.