The term wonderkid tends to get thrown around too casually these days, but make no mistake, Red Bull New York possesses a legitimate high-potential midfielder in Adri Mehmeti.
Though he is just 16 years old and only has two MLS starts under his belt, Mehmeti has quickly shown that he belongs when competing against seasoned opponents.
It’s not common for a teenager to read the game like he does. Mehmeti has a habit of getting himself into the right places on and off the ball.
He continually hits teammates with a dazzling array of long balls and through passes into the opposition’s danger areas. Again, this is not common for a teenager who is only taking his first strides at the professional level against grown men.
“When I step on the field, I leave the field with no regrets, push every single day, and push my teammates,” Mehmeti said following Saturday’s 1-0 home victory against the New England Revolution. “They are giving me the confidence to go out and do what I can do best, and then I give it back on the game.
“Obviously, attacking-wise, I think I can play those threatening passes to our 9s, our 8s, our wingers.”
Mehmeti Is Making an Immediate Impact in MLS
The Staten Island native has recorded two assists through his first two league matches. Only LAFC superstar Son Heung-min and San Diego FC’s pass master Anders Dreyer have tallied more assists (three apiece) so far in the young MLS season.
Mehmeti is placing himself in elite company, given that Son is among the preseason favorites to capture the 2026 Landon Donovan MVP Award, and Dreyer finished as runner-up to two-time MLS MVP Lionel Messi last year’s MVP voting. Dreyer tied the Inter Miami captain atop the MLS assist leaderboard with 19 helpers last season.
In providing the primary assist on Julian Hall’s 53rd-minute match winner, Mehmeti became the second-youngest player in MLS history to record an assist in each of the opening two games of a season. Only former D.C. United attacking midfielder Freddy Adu accomplished this feat at a slightly younger age, at 16 years and 310 days old.
But to focus solely on the offensive side of Mehmeti’s game doesn’t paint a complete picture of how advanced the 6-foot midfielder already is.
“The offensive part of my game is really good,” Mehmeti stated. “Then the defensive part against quicker, shiftier players like Carles Gil, I think, how can I move my feet so he can’t get past and play his passes, was something that I did pretty well. Every day in training, when I go up against guys like Emil [Forsberg] and Choupo [Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting], how can I move my feet and defend the space and defend the ball without them getting past and creating big chances?”
Mehmeti couldn’t have a better teacher to show him the way in head coach Michael Bradley, who made 151 appearances for the United States men’s national team and played in the English Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, the Dutch Eredivisie and MLS.
“Yeah, he’s been helping me a lot, every day in training,” Mehmeti said. “I mean, with the ball, without the ball, he has been telling me, giving these little tips and reminders, how can I adjust my body, how can I turn, how can I move my feet to defend the play. The way he coaches, the way, I think he gives all the young guys confidence to push in training. It is really helpful for us, so we can go out with all that confidence.”
Mentorship From Former USMNT Star Michael Bradley Has Been Key
Bradley has ushered in front-footed, attacking football, and his players have responded with belief and tenacity on the pitch. He has given Mehmeti a license to be an orchestrator who sets the pace with his vision and movement on the ball, but he also demands that his young midfield jewel make full use of his physicality and positional sense.
“His reading of the game and his understanding of situations, his ability to help us press and be aggressive, but also then in other moments, his ability to close certain situations off and take good angles that may not mean that he wins the ball right away, but don’t allow the other team to progress forward,” Bradley said of Mehmeti’s strengths.
“His understanding of the game, his savvy for a young player, is developing in a good way. We’re working closely with him to try to make sure that his understanding of the nuance of different situations and how he can use his physical qualities, but also use his intelligence, to really help us. When you look at the best players in the world in that position, they are the reference for their team. They’re able with football, intelligence, personality and then of course physical qualities that go with it; they’re able to do a lot.
“Adri’s still young. We are really pleased with how the development is going — and we’re going to continue to help him with that.”
Mehmeti will turn 17 on April 6. He’s already impressed at the youth team level for the United States. He played an integral role in Red Bull New York II’s MLS NEXT Pro Cup championship last fall.
It feels like it’s a matter of when, not if, Mehmeti becomes a fully-fledged star for the USMNT senior team. His potential is pointing to that possibility becoming a reality someday.
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