In Harrison, where the New York Red Bulls have long made a habit of trusting energy and movement, a 17-year-old midfielder is giving the club a rather different kind of lift. Adri Mehmeti has arrived in Major League Soccer with the calm of a player who believes the next pass was visible before the ball reached him, and his rise has now carried him into Mauricio Pochettino’s United States squad.
Mehmeti joined the Red Bulls set-up at seven and progressed through the club’s pathway before reaching the senior side. His MLS bow came from the opening line-up against Orlando City on 22 February 2026, and he has quickly become a regular under Michael Bradley.
Most often stationed at the base of midfield, Mehmeti operates in front of the defenders as a No. 6, collecting possession, scanning the field and setting the rhythm. He can also move higher into a more advanced midfield role when the game allows it. His value has been clearest in recoveries and in the security of his distribution: a player expected to interrupt attacks, then ensure his side keeps the ball rather than immediately defending again.
The comparisons with Sergio Busquets have followed naturally, less because Mehmeti is being asked to reproduce a celebrated career than because of the composure in his game. He does not need to chase every moment at full speed. Instead, he seems to read the moment early, choose his position and make a decision with unusual ease for his age.
A first goal in Miami, then an international opening
Goals are not the main measure of his work, and he has scored only once so far. Yet it was a memorable first strike. In the 77th minute against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Mehmeti scored the equaliser that made it 2-2 and earned the Red Bulls a point in Florida.
His club form has also brought an early national-team opportunity. Pochettino used him in both United States matches during the current international window, the first fixtures since last summer’s World Cup, a tournament Mehmeti did not reach in time for. He made his debut against Peru, entering in the 88th minute, before starting against Chile.
For a teenager still learning the demands of senior football, the speed of those steps has been striking. The central midfield role normally asks for years of experience: the ability to recognise danger before it develops, to manage the match with and without possession, and to withstand the pressure that comes with a mistake in the middle of the pitch. Mehmeti has already shown a level of comfort that suggests why both club and country have moved quickly.
Europe already looking across the Atlantic
His contract in New York runs through 2028, with an option for a further year, but European interest is already part of the conversation. Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have all been linked with the midfielder, making a move across the Atlantic appear a matter of timing rather than an unlikely ambition.
There is a simple football explanation for the confidence around him. Mehmeti grew up in a home where the ball was never far away. His father trained with him, while security cameras in the family garage recorded their sessions so they could watch them back afterwards. Between those repetitions, matches and long football conversations, he developed the habits now visible in New York.
There is still considerable distance between an encouraging first season in MLS and a completed European career. But Mehmeti has already marked out a rare route: from the Red Bulls academy to a regular senior role, from a first goal against Inter Miami to a United States debut, all before his 18th birthday. For now, the continent can watch as New York’s young organiser learns what comes next.
