When forward Julian Hall made his debut for the U.S. Men’s National Team, his jersey bore a name that new viewers might not recognize: Zakrzewski.
The back of Hall’s jersey features his mother’s middle name instead of his last name, a nod to his Polish heritage. The 18-year-old, who was born and raised in New York to an American father and a Polish mother, has worn the back of Zakrzewski’s jersey his entire career, starting with his debut for Red Bull New York in September 2023 at the age of 15.
The forward had a memorable international debut, coming off the bench in the United States’ 4-1 win over Peru, scoring and assisting, becoming the United States’ third youngest assister in the modern era. He was one of 11 players to make their debut for the national team against Peru, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino overseeing player turnover in the national team. Junior Justin Ellis opened the scoring in the fourth minute, while World Cup players Malik Tillman and Sebastian Berhalter also scored.
Hall made his U.S. national team debut during a breakout season for the Red Bulls, in which he scored 13 goals and provided three assists in all competitions.
Hall’s International Qualifications
Hall’s pedigree means he is eligible to represent the United States and Poland, but the forward has yet to officially join either national team. in a Interviewed by the New York Post Earlier this month, Hall said his future was “definitely not certain” despite receiving a call-up to the U.S. national team, and that the Polish Football Association had attempted to recruit the player. President Cezary Kulesza met with Hall’s mother, Agnieszka, in New York in April and later presented her with a Poland jersey with Zakrzewski on the back. Post photos on social media.
However, just days before reporting for the first U.S. national team training camp, Hall said the Polish team had not yet been contacted about the upcoming games and that he was only focused on performing for the United States.
“No,” he said last week in response to a question about whether Poland had contacted us. “I just want to take advantage of this opportunity to meet America and when I go there I’m going to do my best to make an impact and do well.”
Hall, who only represents the U.S. youth national team, did not feature for the national team in Saturday’s victory, but he may do so after three games with the senior national team or his first competitive appearance.