Arsenal’s midfielder Gedion Zelalem has been cleared by Fifa to play for the United States and has been added to the squad for the Under-20 World Cup next month.
The US Soccer Federation made the announcement on Wednesday. Fifa’s decision also makes the 18-year-old eligible for the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer and the Under-23 team that will go to Olympic qualifying in October.
Zelalem was born in Germany to Ethiopian parents and lived in Maryland for six years before joining Arsenal’s youth academy when he was 16. He has appeared twice for the Gunners, both times as a second-half substitute – against Coventry in an FA Cup game 24 Jan 2014, and against Galatasaray in the Champions League on 9 Dec 2014.
Zelalem obtained US citizenship in December, and the USSF applied to Fifato make him eligible for its national team system.