Yunus Musah helped create the decisive moment in AC Milan’s 3-2 Serie A win over Atalanta last weekend, driving forward from the center circle until his shot deflected off defender Relja Obric’s arm for a penalty. Gonçalo Ramos converted the spot kick. The performance is the latest sign of the United States midfielder’s revival at club level after a difficult previous season.
Last season, Musah endured a frustrating spell on loan at Atalanta. He rarely established himself in the starting lineup, and because he was on loan, the club had little reason to invest in a player who might leave at season’s end. He made 29 appearances in all competitions, but those added up to just 939 minutes. This season, he has already logged 572 minutes in all competitions, putting him more than halfway to last season’s total just two months into the campaign.
Earlier this month, while on international duty with the U.S., Musah sat poolside at the team hotel, as upbeat and smiling as ever. He is an older, wiser player than the teenager who burst onto the U.S. Men’s National Team scene during the 2022 FIFA World Cup cycle and started each of the team’s four games in Qatar. The past few years have left their marks on him. Those experiences caused discomfort, but he now appears stronger for them.
Confidence returns with playing time
His growing role at Milan matches how he sees himself. He remains confident in his abilities.
“[It was] very frustrating, because I believe that I’m a player that’s a starter,” Musah said about last season, in a joint media interview. “I believe that I’m a starter, so having me as a starter on the bench and not getting used pretty much the whole season was really tough. If I felt that I didn’t have the qualities to play, then I would’ve put my hand up and say, ‘Yeah, I deserve to be on the bench.’ But I think that I have the qualities to be a starter, so it was a season that was [in some ways] a waste on the bench. But at the same time, I learned so much from it, so I wouldn’t necessarily say that it was a waste of a season because I learned a lot from it.”
That lack of playing time also cost him a place in the reckoning for a World Cup roster spot with the U.S. men’s national team. His standing had slipped so far that his omission from the World Cup roster did not come as a surprise.
Musah is experiencing a very different situation now. He has not been perfect for Milan this season. Against Atalanta, he lost track of Gianluca Gaetano, who scored Atalanta’s first goal. Overall, however, the U.S. midfielder has become one of Milan’s most improved and important players in 2026-27, and his incisive play has earned appreciation from the Milan supporters.
The statistics support what the eye test shows. According to TruMedia, the 23-year-old has been cleaner on the ball in Serie A this season, completing 92.6% of his passes compared with 88.0% last campaign. He has also become more effective defensively, winning a higher percentage of duels (61.3% compared with 52.2%) and tackles (60.0% compared with 37.5%).
A return to central midfield
Musah’s situation has also improved because he is back in his preferred central midfield role rather than at wingback, where he spent much of the previous season. He said his improvement began on the training ground at Atalanta. He gradually grew more comfortable in a two-man central midfield, adjusting his positioning and body shape, and he developed a better sense of when and where to take risks. Knowing where he will line up each week has also helped.
“I love playing in middle. It’s my favorite position,” Musah said. “And it’s nice to just concentrate on one position and try to get better just in one position rather than always changing.”
Playing alongside Luka Modric has been another boost. The two have complementary skill sets: Modric delivers the cultured passes, while Musah handles much of the running and defensive work. Musah also learns from the Croatia captain’s vast experience, which includes six UEFA Champions League titles and four LaLiga crowns with Real Madrid.
“It’s amazing, really. I’m learning a lot from [Modric], and at his age he’s still running so much,” Musah said. “He’s so fit and is very decisive for us. He’s still our best player.”
Musah added, “He talks to us a lot, and also just in the manner in which he plays, he’s that kind of leader that shows you how it’s done.”
Faith from the manager
None of these factors would matter without the backing of the manager. Ruben Amorim has provided that support in abundance. Amid speculation last summer that Musah was leaving Milan, a text from Amorim during preseason told the player he was part of the new manager’s plans. Musah still had doubts, but Amorim has backed his words with action. Even when Adrien Rabiot returned to the lineup from an early-season injury, Amorim found a way to get Musah onto the field. Rabiot has won several trophies with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus and earned a World Cup runner-up medal with France.
The communication between the two has been clear.
“He just transmits a lot of positivity, understanding,” Musah said of Amorim. “He just gives me, every game, just clear ideas on how to beat the opponent. I go into the game with a clear head because I know exactly what the manager’s asking from me. And then, he’s like, ‘Try whatever I’m telling you, and if it doesn’t work, it’s my fault.’ So it gives me a lot of freedom in my mind that I’m just doing what the manager’s saying, and most of the time it works.”
Still building toward the U.S. team
Musah’s club form has not yet fully carried over to the USMNT. During the September and October four-game international window, he played 132 minutes, with one start and two appearances off the bench. That total comes with a caveat. Part of manager Mauricio Pochettino’s remit for the window was to give international debuts to the next generation, so playing time was spread around.
Competition in the U.S. center of midfield remains fierce. Juventus’ Weston McKennie, Atlético Madrid’s Johnny Cardoso, Middlesbrough’s Aidan Morris and Lyon’s Tanner Tessmann were all left out of the recent squad for various reasons. A change in form or improved fitness for any of them could leave Musah on the outside looking in when the U.S. reconvenes for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League against Jamaica in a little over two weeks.
Still, Musah’s club form puts him in greater control of his international future. His recent experiences should also help him handle whatever obstacles lie ahead.