USMNT star Musah thanks fans for meme in response to U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year award

• Musah started at World Cup
• Only 20 years old
• Thanked fans for creating meme about him

WHAT HAPPENED? A fan vote accounted for 15% of the award's selection process, and Musah ranked first, receiving 83.9 percent of the ballots. The Valencia midfielder was the subject of an online joke where people affectionately wrote that Musah couldn't be spelled without USA, and he said he appreciated the attention.

WHAT THEY SAID: “To the fans from when they started the ‘Can’t spell Musah without USA' thing, through qualifiers and the World Cup, I feel like the fans have been behind me for so long – since before I even did anything in football,” Musah said. “As we went on playing games and they enjoyed the way I was playing and everything – I’d just like to say thank you for their unbelievable support and their trust since day one. The fans of the USMNT are great and I love them.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Musah also thanked his coaching staff, adding: “I’ve said it many times – I’ve had the trust from the manager, the team, the U.S. to play so many games at this young age. It shows me that I just have to carry on the way I’m doing, keep being humble and keep working hard to try and be more. As a player, you just want to keep improving.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT FOR MUSAH? The midfielder should be in the prime of his career when the 2026 World Cup is played on U.S. soil, and he could again play a major role for his country in that tournament.