FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta is close to gaining United States citizenship according to reports, enabling him to be eligable for the US men's national team. Though the former D.C. United and Atlas player was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he has never featured for the Argentinian national team throughout his career.
Acosta would not have to apply for FIFA's One Time Switch, but simply receive his citizenship to play for the Stars and Stripes.
Acosta has been the driving force behind Cincinnati's impressive season thus far, and his efforts haven't gone unnoticed. The attacking midfielder has been in MVP form with eight goals and two assists this season, drawing international attention. Overall, he's managed 25 goals and 32 assists that could soon have him playing alongside newcomer Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic.
If Acosta does join the Stars and Stripes, he would bring something that the team is currently lacking: a player that has no problem dribbling past players with ease in 1v1 scenarios. He could, at the least, be an intriguing super-sub to wear down tired defenses.
While competitions such as the Nations League and Gold Cup come to mind, if Acosta remains in form, he could feature at the 2026 World Cup that the United States is co-hosting alongside Mexico and Canada.
Cincinnati host the struggling Toronto FC after the international break and will look to get back into the win column following their 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps. The Orange and Blue are first in the Eastern Conference table, eight points clear of second-placed Nashville SC with 40 points from 17 games played.
The USMNT and new interim head coach B.J. Callaghan have a busy summer ahead as they look to add more silverware amidst their ongoing search for a new permanent manager They will look to defend the inaugural Nations League title before focusing their efforts on the Gold Cup in July.
This article was originally published on 90min as Lucho Acosta reportedly close to USMNT eligibility.
