A Greenville-born professional soccer player recently became the youngest American to play in the German Bundesliga, one of the top professional soccer leagues in the world.
Sixteen-year-old Mathis Albert made his debut for Borussia Dortmund April 26, against SC Freiburg. He plays as a winger and attacking midfielder for the club. Dortmund is currently second place in the league. It has been the breakthrough club for other standout U.S. players in recent years, including Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna.
Albert spent his early childhood in Greenville and played soccer at the Carolina Elite Soccer Academy. He was part of CESA’s Center of Excellence Program, designed for athletically advanced young soccer players. Program Director Matt Rogers coached Albert when he played on the Under-8 boys team.
“Even then, he was a spectacular player,” Rogers said. “He had just amazing, natural technical ability on the ball. He could always stay active in the game. His acceleration over small distances was exceptional for being so young, and he had a resilience to him.”
Albert moved up to play in CESA’s Junior Academy Program in 2017. He played for the Under-9 boys team, coached by Brandon Lee and Roberto Hernandez. Lee said Albert was the best player he ever coached.
“He saw the game, you know, better than some 18- and 19-year-olds, to be honest. But then, just the moves and skills that he had at that age, and the confidence was just next level,” Lee said.
Albert and his family moved to Southern California in 2018. He started playing for the San Diego Surf youth club and later joined the LA Galaxy youth program. In 2024, Albert moved to Germany and joined Dortmund’s youth academy.
