Noahkai Banks earns Germany U-21 spot, likely ending USMNT bid for dual-national defender

The 19-year-old Augsburg defender accepted a call-up to Germany's U-21 squad for Euro qualifiers, which will trigger a one-time switch and end his international eligibility with the United States

Sep 18, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET • 2 min read

When Mauricio Pochettino named a youthful squad for the September and October international windows, you'd be quick to notice that a defender was missing from the ranks. Augsburg center back Noahkai Banks was called into the USMNT squad during the September international window and did not feature, and was omitted from subsequent camps as he wrestled with representing Germany or the United States. But as Germany's U-21 squad has been named for the same window, Banks has been included for the country as Jurgen Klopp looks to turn around the German national team following a disappointing World Cup. That means he will become permanently ineligible for the United States once he files his one-time transfer.

Born in Hawaii to an American father and a German mother, Banks has been eligible to represent both nations but has only represented the United States at youth levels until now. The Augsburg man has continued to state that he was undecided on his future, and while Pochettino acknowledged that the United States were in contact with Banks, he also added that it's important to give him time as well due to being such a young player.

What's interesting is that despite Klopp calling in a 40-plus-man split squad for Germany's four friendlies during this window, Banks wasn't included in the senior national team despite the center back position being one that Germany is thin at. Only 19, Banks has become a regular starter in the Bundesliga, and he represented the United States at the U-17 World Cup, hence the need to file a one-time switch to represent Germany if he does feature for the youth side. That time with Marko Mitrovic and the youth teams has also been a major influence on his career so far.

It's unclear if he has filed that, but the German youth side has an important window of their own with Euro U-21 qualification ongoing. They'll face Latvia, Malta, and Georgia in matches, which would provide a competitive test for Banks and others who are called up. Going the other way, Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi is someone who Italy would've liked to call in, but he opted to stick with the German youth squad as well, which goes back to the man at the top for the national team. In having Jurgen Klopp, Germany now has one of the greatest dual national recruitment tools of any nation. Players have always wanted to run through a wall for Klopp, and if you're 50/50 between a decision, it's easy for Klopp's charisma to shift that in Germany's favor.

Even without Banks in the squad, the USMNT will still have a teenage phenom at center back in the Philadelphia Union's Neil Pierre. After returning from a loan at Lyngby, Pierre has become a mainstay in a Union lineup that has gone 10 matches unbeaten in MLS play since the World Cup break, and he has also scored four goals during that time period. There will always be players who get away from the US youth system, but the future has never been brighter for American teenagers even if one will be representing Germany instead.