Joe Scally was just 19 years old when he set foot in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the United States men's national team.
Although he was stuck behind Sergiño Dest and didn't play a minute at the tournament, the now 23-year-old is a stalwart at Borussia Mönchengladbach, as he became the youngest non-German to reach 150 appearances in the Bundesliga this season.
"I have experience from the last tournament with big pressure, it's important," he said. "I think it helps you out on the field and in training because you've been there, so you know the pressure that comes with it. It's just very special that I can bring that at such a young age."
NYCFC roots
Before Scally was Gladbach's starting right-back, he was New York City FC's second-ever Homegrown player, signing his first professional contract at the age of 15 in March 2018 after being a part of the club's U-17 team that won the Generation adidas Cup.
Due to being stuck behind star right-back Anton Tinnerholm, Scally made just seven appearances for NYCFC — he started only one game and recorded a combined 33 minutes in his six games off the bench.
But in November 2019, Scally sent shockwaves through the league when he signed with Gladbach — the transfer fee was the highest paid for a 16-year-old in Major League Soccer history, with the initial fee being reported around $2 million. Scally couldn't join the club until his 18th birthday, so the move wasn't official until December 31, 2020.
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Already a veteran for club and country
Once he arrived in Germany, Scally finished the 2020/21 season with Gladbach's second team, but was a first-team starter the next season and beyond. In 167 appearances across five seasons, he's scored five goals and recorded nine assists.
As part of a United States back line featuring six World Cup first-timers, Scally may not seem like a veteran because of his young age, but he is. Not only is he a seasoned Bundesliga defender, but Scally has also already made 24 appearances for the USMNT since debuting in 2022.
"For myself, I'm the youngest [foreign] player to play 150 games in the Bundesliga, so I definitely bring a lot of experience and a lot of consistency to the team," he said. "I think that's helped me mentally, just preparing, because we've been in different kinds of battles, like fighting for Champions League when I first came, and then not really fighting relegation, but kind of in that area the last two seasons. So it's different, I bring that sort of leadership qualities."
Despite being primarily a right-back, Scally has played center-back, right wing-back, and even right midfielder at times for club and country.
Most recently for the USMNT, head coach Mauricio Pochettino slotted Scally in as a right-center-back in a back three alongside Miles Robinson and Tim Ream in the 2-1 win over Paraguay in November 2025.
"I've played with Tim now for the last five years...it's good because you need that experience," Scally said. "You need that young aggressiveness, so it's a great balance that we have. We have a great group, and we're excited."
Scally is likely to be the backup to starting right-back Dest for the second straight tournament, but his flexibility to play other positions may get him some World Cup minutes for the first time.
'It's an honor'
Scally was back in his hometown — Lake Grove, New York, in Long Island's Suffolk County — when he heard the news that he had made his second consecutive World Cup. He didn't have to travel far for Tuesday's roster reveal event at Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport, a moment he will never forget.
"It's amazing," he said. "I think I'm going to tell my kids about this and talk about it for a long time. Being on the stage in my home city for the roster reveal is special."
Scally has already played in a tournament on home soil — he started all three of the USMNT's games at the 2024 Copa América, but it doesn't compare to a World Cup.
"It's special, I always go back to the feeling from Copa América, hearing your national anthem in your home country, and it's special — you don't lose that feeling," he said. "Now, having a World Cup, it's 10 times more important and the biggest part of your career, so it's an honor."
The USMNT will play Senegal and Germany in its final two friendlies before beginning its World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.
"Playing at home, the fans can help us in these games; they're like a 12th player, so I think that will definitely bring us over the edge," he said.
