By Graham Ruthven
Noahkai Banks has a big decision to make. Born in Hawaii to an American father and a Spanish-German mother, the 19-year-old is eligible for three different national teams, two of which are believed to be making a play for his services with the 2026 World Cup just around the corner.
While reports in Germany claim Banks hasn’t spoken to Julian Nagelsmann, the player himself has publicly revealed the German FA (DFB) are in contact. Earlier this month, Banks admitted to being “very torn” and has apparently rejected any call-up from the USA for the upcoming March friendlies to give himself more time to think.
That Banks, who has played for the USA at youth level, won’t be in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the games against Belgium and Portugal is already a blow. In an ideal world, the young defender would have been given an opportunity to showcase his quality in an area of the pitch where the USA has a growing number of concerns.
Chris Richards is one centre back the US can count on this summer. The Crystal Palace defender is operating at a high level in the Premier League and has grown into a leadership role for his national team since the last World Cup. Pochettino has built around Richards in the backline.
Next to Richards, though, there is a big question mark. Tim Ream has performed the role more than any other player, but the 38-year-old is starting to look his age. Anyone who watched Ream get torn to shreds by the LA Galaxy in a recent match for Charlotte FC surely has concerns about how his World Cup might go.
Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, and Auston Trusty could all be in contention to start alongside Richards this summer, but Banks is operating at a higher level than all of them and certainly has a higher ceiling as a player. This is a player Pochettino said has the potential to become one of the best defenders in Europe.
It therefore makes sense that Germany are interested. Having failed to make it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups, there is pressure on Nagelsmann to plot a deeper run at this summer’s tournament even if Germany lack the top-end talent that made them champions in 2014.
In Nico Schlotterbeck and Jonathan Tah, Germany boast two elite level centre backs with the former on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs and the latter on course for Bundesliga, and possibly Champions League, glory with Bayern Munich. Beyond those two, though, Nagelsmann is short of depth.
Banks would fit in well. The 19-year-old is comfortable on the ball, as his assist for Augsburg in a recent match against Köln proved. Afforded some space on the edge of the box, Banks surged to the byline and squared a pass into the area for Rodrigo Ribeiro to finish from close range. It was a moment that showcased his athleticism and talent in possession.
For Augsburg, Banks has most commonly played on the right side of a back three. Pochettino has used a back three on occasion as USMNT head coach and Banks could allow him to push Richards into a more central role as the dominant defensive presence in the national team backline.
There are flaws to Banks’ game. He has made mistakes this season, but that’s to be expected of a young player. He has played over 1,600 minutes in the Bundesliga this season and is established as a first team figure in a Big Five league as a teenager. That exposure is helping Banks improve.
Banks has vowed not to make a decision on his long-term international future on the basis of the 2026 World Cup. “I hopefully have a long career ahead of me, so I want to think carefully and speak with my family,” said the teenager. “I don’t want to make it dependent on a World Cup. I’m just happy to be in this position and to be able to make this decision. We’ll see what happens.”
The more Banks impresses in the Bundesliga, though, the more the clamour for the teenager to play at this summer’s World Cup will increase, particularly from the USA side. Pochettino would surely like to be able to call up the young defender for the tournament on home soil. Banks could feasibly be a first team figure.
Whatever decision Banks ultimately makes, he has a bright future for club and country ahead of him. Pochettino has good reason to be bullish on the 19-year-old’s potential even if the USA ends up losing out to Germany in the race for his international allegiance. An American wonderkid could be a German star.
(Images from IMAGO)
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