Who is Antonee Robinson? Inside the USMNT World Cup roster

Player: Antonee Robinson
Age: 25
Club: Fulham
Birthplace: Milton Keyes, United Kingdom
Position: Left back
Team role: Starter
USMNT caps: 53

The starting left back has actually gone by the name “Jedi” since he was 5 years old. The nickname comes from his love for Star Wars as a kid — dressing up as characters and watching all the movies — and it’s just stuck. He prefers it that way and even introduces himself to people as Jedi instead of Antonee.

Robinson, who plays for Fulham, appeared in 13 of the USMNT’s 14 2022 World Cup qualifying games where he had three assists and scored two goals. Born outside of London and raised in New York, Robinson called choosing to play for the USMNT a “no-brainer” after feeling like he was overlooked by the English national team.

“To get called up for the U.S. just made me feel 10-feet tall and improved my confidence a lot,” he said. “It inspired hope in me as a player at the time.”

You can see his passion and love for the game through his energy on the field, which often includes celebratory backflips after scoring goals.

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.