16-year-old phenom Mathis Albert makes history and turns heads. USMNT stardom next?

It's impossible to say if Mathis Albert will end up surpassing the careers of Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna, but the Borussia Dortmund teenager has already one-upped the U.S. national team pair in one aspect.

Albert made his Borussia Dortmund debut on April 26 in a 4-0 win over Freiburg, becoming the youngest American to ever play in the Bundesliga at 16 years, 11 months and 12 days old.

The record had been held by Reyna, who was 17 years, 2 months and 5 days when he debuted for Dortmund in 2020. Reyna was two months younger than previous record-holder Pulisic, who set the mark with his own Dortmund league debut in 2016.

Following in the footsteps of some of his country's biggest names, Albert tried to take the moment in at Signal Iduna Park, one of European soccer's most iconic stadiums.

"I was honestly just star struck in front of the 80,000 [fans], in front of the Yellow Wall," he told USA TODAY Sports. "It just felt like history.

"It's a feeling I couldn't really even describe, because I was just so in the moment. I was nervous, but my nerves kind of went away as soon as I entered the pitch.

"To be the youngest American to play in the Bundesliga is honestly an amazing feeling, especially with this club. It's a historic club and one of the best in the world."

Welcome to the Bundesliga and senior football, Mathis Albert 👏

16-year-old American out of Greenville, South Carolina 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xsPJPKnSLA— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 26, 2026

Albert is the latest gem from Dortmund's academy, a place that has helped cultivate some of the top American talent in recent years.

Like Pulisic and Reyna, Albert is a dynamic attacking talent who has risen quickly through the ranks at Dortmund. A South Carolina native by way of the LA Galaxy academy, Albert is an electric attacking threat on the wing with an eye for a pass and the ability to score himself.

It's no coincidence that three of the best American prospects of the past decade have all come from the same team. Despite its status as one of Germany's most successful clubs, Dortmund is a place where young talent is given the chance to play senior minutes early.

"The club has always trusted me," Albert said. "All the people that work in the club have always given me the chance, and they always had goals for me.

"Having their trust and having their commitment has helped me so much ever since I first joined Dortmund."

Before he aims for more senior minutes next season, Albert is with Dortmund's U-21 side for Tuesday's Premier League International Cup final against Real Madrid.

Albert has helped build his reputation through this season's tournament, often facing players multiple years older than him.

"Playing in the final is just a really big opportunity for me," he said. "I feel like I have had a really good tournament in this Premier League [International] Cup. I've contributed a lot, scoring goals, getting assists, and I'm just really excited to play in the final."

After such a conspicuous beginning to his pro career, the chatter around Albert is growing.

Alongside fellow 2009-born prospect Cavan Sullivan, Albert is considered the best young American in his age group. He was on Dortmund's roster for last summer's Club World Cup at barely 16, though he didn't play in the tournament.

If he pushes on to earn more senior minutes next season, the hype will only grow. For a player who is not yet 17, it's a lot to take in. Albert is trying not to get ahead of himself.

"I don't really think too far ahead, I just think about what I can do better every day," he said. "I don't want to think too much about a big future, because that's when you know you can't think too far ahead. You need to think every single day how you can get better."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Borussia Dortmund prospect Mathis Albert talks making Bundesliga history