Who is Kellyn Acosta? Inside the USMNT World Cup roster

Player: Kellyn Acosta
Age: 27
Birthplace: Plano, Texas
Club: Los Angeles Football Club
Position: Central midfielder
Team role: Key reserve
USMNT caps: 53

Fresh off the MLS Cup final, the 27-year-old midfielder is ready to play in the World Cup. It will be his first World Cup in his nine-year career, though he did play in five qualifying matches in 2017 when the USMNT failed to clinch a spot in the 2018 World Cup. So had the U.S. gone to Russia, Acosta likely would have been on that roster.

Acosta, who is a two-time CONCACAF Gold Cup winner and two-time MLS Supporters’ Shield winner, including this year with LAFC, has scored two goals and added five assists in 53 caps for the national team. He also appeared in 13 of the USMNT’s 14 2022 World Cup qualifiers and was the only USMNT player to start in both wins of the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final.

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.