ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with Cole Campbell on the latest U.S. U-20 camp in Spain in regards to the coming U-20 World Cup and his future at Borussia Dortmund.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
September 18, 2025
8:00 AM
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THE 2025 U-20 WORLD CUP in Chile is quick approaching and one of many high younger gamers to look at on the event may very well be Borussia Dortmund winger Cole Campbell who could be representing the USA for the primary time in an official competitors.
Campbell, 19, has been a part of a number of essential camps this U-20 cycle and was integral to wins in friendlies over England, Fance and most lately Morocco. However the U-20 World Cup is a unique take a look at past friendlies.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Campbell advised American Soccer Now. “Since I was young, it was a dream to play in a World Cup, it would an amazing experience and opportunity to get to showcase on the world stage and get to play with this team. For the expectations, I’m not really going to say, I think everyone knows what you’re there to do. I think if we work hard and we work as a team – I think we have a good group of guys and I think we’ll do very well.”
The U.S. U-20 World Cup roster can be introduced on Friday and Campbell is anticipated to be a key a part of head coach Marko Mitovic’s plans. The difficulty is whether or not Borussia Dortmund agrees to launch him for the event, however Mitrovic stated lately that, whereas golf equipment can change their minds, he was optimistic from his discussions with golf equipment that gamers on the final camp could be launched for the event.
The U.S. workforce was given a difficult however doable draw for the World Cup the place it’ll open in opposition to New Caledonia on September 29 earlier than taking over the at all times difficult French workforce on October 2. Lastly, the workforce will conclude group play in opposition to African U-20 champions South Africa on October 5.
The U.S. workforce defeated France 2-1 final November in Spain and Campbell scored the opening aim.
And it’s Cole Campbell! The Dortmund winger places the united statesU-20 workforce up 1-0 on France within the fifteenth minute. Very nice work from the workforce on this aim pic.twitter.com/nkt0YmzpQu
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) November 18, 2024
“France is France and we played them also in the friendlies,” Campbell stated. “It’s a friendly, yes, but we won. I think you see these teams, yes, they’re good, but I think at the end of day, when we play together and when we perform, I think we can do well against pretty much any team. We’ll be good and I’m looking forward to it.”
Campbell has already appeared with Borussia Dortmund’s first workforce. Final season he made 4 Bundesliga appearances, one within the DFB Poka, in addition to one within the Champions League. This previous weekend he made his season debut coming off the bench in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim.
The transition from the youth ranges to the primary workforce is at all times the toughest bounce for younger gamers and Campbell was in a position to make that transition with the assistance of his elite pace. Per the Bundesliga web site, Campbell posted the thirteenth quickest dash pace in the course of the league’s 2024/25 season – regardless of his restricted minutes.
However breaking into the primary workforce from the youth ranges is a take a look at for a participant on many alternative ranges.
“Changing from the academy side to the first team is definitely a difficult, difficult thing with the mentality, the pressure – all of these things,” Campbell stated. “The quality obviously is much, much higher and you have to be able to compete and making that step is not easy. Mentally, it’s not easy to do that. It’s very difficult. And as far as myself, I’ve learned that no matter what happens, I can keep fighting and keep pushing through. That’s kind of what I’m still trying to do, keep pushing and training hard and hopefully this season get some more minutes.”
In the course of the summer time, Campbell was linked with a potential transfer away from Borussia Dortmund. VfB Stuttgart was simply one of many golf equipment carefully linked with the participant. Campbell admits that he significantly thought of shifting however ultimately his coronary heart was with Borussia Dortmund.
“I was definitely considering a change, trying to figure out if I saw if there was going to be a future with the club or not,” Campbell defined. “For me in my heart, I’m not finished with Dortmund. So having the discussions with the coach, I feel like now something is changing. And I feel that if I really push and I work hard and I earn my way, I think that there could definitely be a possibility for me there. So I decided in the end to stay and to fight and work through. Because nothing is easy, nothing worth attaining is easy so I’m ready for that challenge to fight and to earn my way.”
Campbell joined Borussia Dortmund in 2022 after starting his skilled profession in Iceland, first with Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar (FH) and later with Breiðablik.
Born in Texas, Campbell grew up in a soccer household. His father, Lance, performed faculty soccer at Texas Lutheran. His mom Rakel Karvelsson performed for Iceland’s nationwide workforce after taking part in faculty soccer for the College of North Carolina. Campbell and his dad and mom returned to reside in Iceland in 2020 to spend time along with his grandfather, who was battling an sickness. Throughout his time with FH is when he first started taking part in for Iceland’s youth nationwide groups.
Previous to that, Campbell was with Atlanta United’s youth academy which he joined after his household relocated to Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia. It was there in an expert atmosphere the place Campbell made essential strides in his sport, usually making the 31 mile commute each day along with his father.
“When I was younger I was kind of playing for fun – nothing like a professional environment,” Campbell stated of his time in Atlanta United’s youth academy. “When I went to Atlanta it was my first professional pressure which you need to play well and develop. Mentally, it made me stronger – ‘hey you need work on this or ‘you had a terrible game and you need do better.’ It’s a professional type of environment. Whereas before it was just going out there and playing. Atlanta was definitely a key part of my development.”
It was additionally in Atlanta the place he met Luke Brennan and Noah Cobb, who’ve each been with him on the USA U-20 nationwide workforce. During the last yr, he has been in a position to reconnect with each gamers, particularly Brennan, who may begin with him on the U-20 World Cup on the alternative wing. The 2 have turn into shut associates and their chemistry may very well be essential to the U.S. workforce’s assault in Chile.
In February 2024, Campbell formally filed his one-time change of affiliation with FIFA to depart Iceland’s federation and symbolize the USA internationally. Just some weeks later, he represented the U.S. U-19 workforce in a camp the place he scored two objectives in a 3-2 win over England.
That camp primarily kicked off the U.S. U-20 cycle and Campbell has been with that group for the previous 18 months.
“It’s a great group of guys,” Campbell stated. “Everyone gets along. There’s not really any tension or anything like that, which is kind of normal – you have different type of groups and some people you don’t get along with. But for me, I get along everyone and I’m very happy I made the switch because it’s kind of like a family type environment.”
However within the coming weeks, the U-20 World Cup will open and Campbell may very well be a key participant within the event. If he goes, he’s hoping that it’s the begin of an extended profession with the USA that might embody the 2028 Olympic workforce and the complete nationwide workforce as effectively.
“It is my first major competition that I’m playing for my country,” Campbell stated. “But for me, it’s amazing to get to represent my country on a World Cup stage. Other tournaments, yes, they’re amazing as well, but a World Cup is the biggest one. And it means a lot to get to represent my country and to play on that stage. It’s going to be great, so I’m looking forward to it.”
