Julian Gressel open to playing for USMNT

Twitter Q&A sessions are pretty standard in the world of social media today. Usually a popular athlete or celebrity will “take over” a brand’s account and answer some handpicked questions that usually provide no real value other than “talking to someone you like”. But Julian Gressel is no standard athlete. Taking part in a Q&A on his own blog’s Twitter account, he dropped a legitimate news bomb.

The German-born Gressel was asked if he would consider representing the United States Men’s National Team if he’s granted U.S. citizenship before the 2022 World Cup. His reply will have USMNT fans taking notice:

Late December is the time in question when it comes to Julian’s path to citizenship. His marriage ceremony was held December 30, 2018, but whenever the marriage paperwork was filed is when the three-year clock officially started ticking for Gressel. As long as he maintains residence in the United States for the next three years, he should be able to apply to become a U.S. citizen.

If this timetable is accurate, Julian should be able to apply in the very early stages of 2022. With the World Cup in Qatar being pushed all the way back to mid-November, time would be on his side.

Of course, all of this comes with a million caveats and questions. Will Gressel even stay in the country for three years? His contract with Atlanta United won’t last forever and last reports indicate that negotiations on a new deal have broken off. Then there’s the question of the USMNT and if Gressel will be in good enough form when the time comes.

There are just so many variables in between now and 2022. But what we do know is that Gressel has thought about the possibility and seems very much open to the idea. That’s about all we can ask for at this point.