DORTMUND, Germany — Mathis Albert has made history as the youngest American to compete in the Bundesliga, debuting for Borussia Dortmund on Sunday at just 16 years, 11 months, and 5 days old.
Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, Albert came on as a substitute in the 88th minute during Dortmund’s decisive 4-0 victory against Freiburg. He has now surpassed the previous record set by Giovanni Reyna, who played for Dortmund on January 18, 2020, at the age of 17 years, 2 months, and 5 days.
Prior to Reyna, the record was held by Christian Pulisic, who debuted for Dortmund on January 30, 2016, at 17 years, 4 months, and 12 days.
Albert joined Dortmund’s academy from the LA Galaxy youth team in 2024 and represented the U.S. at the Under-17 World Cup last year.
This victory for Dortmund secures their qualification for the Champions League next season.
Maximilian Beier, Serhou Guirassy, and Ramy Bensebaini played pivotal roles in the early stages of the match, while substitute Fábio Silva rounded off the scoring later on.
Dortmund’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel denied Cyriaque Irié a goal, keeping a clean sheet.
With only three matches left, Dortmund is guaranteed a top-four finish, ensuring their place in next season’s elite European competition.
Freiburg’s coach, Julian Schuster, made several changes after their disheartening loss to Stuttgart in the German Cup semifinals on Thursday.
Next up, Freiburg will face Sporting Braga away for the first leg of their Europa League semifinal tie.
Dortmund’s coach, Niko Kovač, also gave Samuele Inácio his first start, and the 18-year-old Italian forward impressed, earning applause as he exited the pitch in the 74th minute.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.