'I just want to kick a ball': NY Red Bulls phenom Julian Hall grounded by love of soccer as USMNT decision nears

HARRISON, NJ — New York Red Bulls teenager Julian Hall may soon get his chance to shine on the national-team level.

Right now, though, he's just embracing being a kid playing a game he loves.

With the 2026 World Cup now in the rear-view mirror, and Mauricio Pochettino expected to work towards building the talent pool as the focus shifts to 2030, the next few international breaks are likely to feature a significant number of young talent and fringe players hoping to show they can be long-term contributors.

Hall, an 18-year-old who has spent considerable time with the U.S. youth national team through multiple levels, is believed to be heavily in the mix for a call-up soon, possibly for the coming September/October international break.

To the Red Bulls teen, that would be a dream.

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"I think anyone in the world wouldn't know what to say if they got called up, honestly, and it would be the same for me," Hall told The Sporting News in an exclusive interview at the Red Bulls' brand new training ground.

"There were times in my childhood where I would dream of doing that, and honestly I didn't know if I could, because no one's really sure what can happen. And I feel like now that I've proven myself a little bit, there's at least that sliver of hope that I can be there one day. I would be super blessed if that happened, and it's something I definitely am working hard to achieve."

A New York City native, growing up playing on the fields around 96th street and up by Harlem, Hall broke onto the Major League Soccer scene back in 2024. At 15 years and 190 days old, Hall became the second-youngest player to step on the field for an MLS first team.

"I think the fields in New York were huge for me," Hall said, "because there's a huge pickup scene in Manhattan, towards the end of COVID, when people started coming out more. At first I was the only one on the field during COVID, nobody was going to the field. It was just me, my mom, and my brother there every day, basically."

The field next to me was closed; we had to find our way in there and play. That's something that defines me: I love the game so much, and I'd do almost anything to keep playing.

Hall spent the beginning of his developmental years training on empty fields at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Born in 2008, Hall was 12 years old when the outbreak began. With some of the fields close to home shuttered and inactive, he did whatever it took to get on the pitch.

"It was a tough time for a lot of people," Hall said. "For me, specifically with soccer, it was tough because any kid wants to play games every weekend, you're looking forward to the games every time, and tournaments and stuff like that are super important when you're young. For me, that want to play was so strong.

"The field next to me was closed; we had to find our way in there and play. That's something that defines me: I love the game so much, and I'd do almost anything to keep playing. I just tried to do anything through COVID to keep playing and getting better. I think that really shaped my future in terms of how much drive I have and how much I'm willing to do for myself and the team.

"Towards the end [of the pandemic] was when people started coming out, and you could kind of feel the environment coming back. It was like around summertime, and you could kind of feel that energy breathing back to life in New York. That was an awesome time for me in my life because I wanted to just keep going and keep pushing and keep playing the game. It was a massive part of the development of my career."

Now, Hall is on a meteoric upward trajectory. In his first real full-time season with the Red Bulls senior team this year, he has scored nine goals and assisted four more through 22 matches, which has put him on the radar for the U.S. national team. Having played for the United States through the youth levels, Hall is no stranger to the federation and is likely to be considered for a first senior call-up soon.

However, there's no guarantee he will accept. That's because Hall is also eligible to play for Poland through his mother's side, and he has been recruited by the European nation. Hard.

Those Polish roots are deeply important to Hall, who is extremely close to his mother. The teenager wears his mother's last name, Zakrzewski, on the back of his jersey to honor her, and he idolizes Polish legend Robert Lewandowski. Hall got to play against his favorite player recently, as the Red Bulls played to a thrilling 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire, who a 38-year-old Lewandowski joined just this past transfer window.

"Obviously, I have Polish roots, but it goes far beyond that," Hall said of his affection for Lewandowski. "He's someone I've looked up to for such a long time. Everyone knows how good of a player he is.

"We're talking about timing and making runs and being in the box. He's not a guy that's going to outpace a defender. He just always has a knack for goals, and knows where he has to be. He's also very technically gifted, and all of that together is why I grew up watching him."

Ultimately, though, Hall's connection to Poland flows through his mother, who is a critical part of the youngster's life journey.

"The main thing is how much she sacrificed in terms of doing things for me to have a chance to make it to professional football," Hall said of his mother, Agnes Zakrzewska. "It wasn't a given that I was going to make it. In the beginning it was more out of love for the sport and the fun of it, and as things get serious, more sacrifices have to come before you reach the professional environment.

"A lot of people know how much the youth soccer in America... it's tough sometimes because of how much you have to pay. And we went through that. My mom went through that almost half her life with me. I just saw how much she cared about me and I feel the same way about her. Now, in the position I am, and hopefully in the future, I can do whatever it takes to honor her and help her and give back to her."

Hall has not given any indication which national team he prefers to represent in the future, instead letting the decision come to him whenever it happens.

"I haven't had too many conversations [with national team federations], to be honest," Hall said. "The main thing right now, I haven't been to a camp for a little bit for the youth team. But for right now, the focus is with the Red Bulls to be honest, especially with the World Cup over now, it's more about the team now and pushing for playoffs."

Whoever he ultimately commits to is getting a player with sky-high talent. Hall is a versatile forward who can play either through the middle or out wide. While still extremely raw and prone to cold streaks, he is learning to harness more than just his physical abilities. That's something relatively uncommon for young American soccer players, who are often steered towards developing their athleticism first and learning skills later.

After it happened, I was watching it on repeat all the time... I get goosebumps watching it and thinking about it.

For Hall, he has displayed technical abilities very early, including a knack for off-ball movement.

"Here at Red Bulls, timing is important because we want to play fast and we want to score as fast as possible, and everyone has to be on the same page for that to happen," Hall said of his own skill set. "For me personally, as an attacking player, your timing in the box, when to be there at the right time, right place, I think you have to set yourself up for that before it even happens, just to be aware of your surroundings. Knowing what you're going to do before it even happens is probably the most important thing."

When pointing out two of his favorite goals he's scored so far in his career, he didn't pick flashy overhead kicks or long-range snipes into the top corner. Hall was more concerned with the moment.

"Probably my first goal at Sports Illustrated Arena," he said first of a moment in his career that stood out, a goal in September 2024 that leveled the match against Sporting KC in the 89th minute, earning a point for the Red Bulls and making Hall the first player in MLS history aged 16 or younger to score multiple game-tying or game-winning goals in the final 10 minutes of the match.

"I cut inside and put it bottom corner. That was something I watched back a lot. Like, after it happened, I was watching it on repeat all the time. That was a huge moment for me because it was my first goal ever at home, and scoring at home was something I was trying to do for so long, and something I wanted so badly. And when it happened, the emotions were like on high. I get goosebumps watching it and thinking about it."

He followed that up with his favorite goal he's scored so far, the final entry in his first career hat-trick, coming this season against Columbus in mid-May. It made Hall the youngest-ever player in MLS history to score three goals in one game.

"I'll go with my third goal for the hat-trick," Hall said after some deliberation. "It was probably the worst goal I've ever scored, to be honest. There were conversations about whether it was even my goal. But I would say that one because I hadn't scored a hat-trick before even with the second team, like ever in my career with Red Bulls. And I rarely did it with the academy. So, to be able to do it in my first season of really starting and playing... I was getting emotional after the game because I know how much I've worked to create a memory like that. And to be able to do that at home, it was an amazing feeling.

"I think I'm very direct. Off the ball, I feel like I'm always trying to get in the box to even have a chance at scoring, and also with the ball trying to be direct, getting in the box and finding a teammate quickly."

Hall's rise hasn't been without adversity. Last season, the Red Bulls missed out on a playoff spot, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference, the first position out of the running. Hall had just one goal and one assist in 26 league appearances through the campaign.

"I think the toughest time for me was probably last year," he said. "For me, I have super high expectations for myself, and I'm really hard on myself, and I think last year wasn't the best year for the team. Obviously, your love for the game is still there, but it's tough to get through the games when you're not performing as well. But I think just remembering why you started playing in the first place — it wasn't for the money, it wasn't for the professional environment, it wasn't for playing in the big stadiums, it was just because you wanted to kick a ball. And I think that's why I feel I've stayed so grounded and what's kept me going. I've always played with a chip on my shoulder and I really wanted to prove something this year."

Rekindling his love for the game in the offseason, Hall came out firing to start the 2026 campaign. Now an everyday starter under coach Michael Bradley, he took to the role with aplomb, scoring nine goals in the first 13 matches of the season.

He is a complete attacker. We're really pleased with Jules, and he continues to push himself in a really good way.

"I think what's also good is having a close circle," Hall said of how he manages to keep emotionally level through the highs and lows. "I have an amazing agent who's like family to me, and my mom steers me in the right direction as well. So, I'm listening and taking advice from coaches and people within Red Bulls and maybe other clubs, too, depending on what it is. But staying true to how you feel and where you feel is right for you is always the best decision."

The streaks have continued to swing in both directions. Since his hat-trick against Columbus on May 13, Hall has not scored a single goal in 12 straight MLS appearances, all but one as a member of the starting lineup. But Bradley still has full confidence in an upward trajectory.

"We are really really pleased with Jules's development and the way he continues to play," the Red Bulls' coach said. "For any attacking player in the world of any age on any team, there are little ebbs and flows in a season, and that's just how it goes. So, the message to him has been, 'don't worry for one second, don't be down, don't overthink anything. Just keep going, keep playing, keep making things happen, keep being aggressive, keep finding ways to get into the box.'

"Obviously, the last few games we've used him in moments from the left as well, and he has shown really really good things from there also. He is a complete attacker. He has speed, he can take the ball on the move, he can get in really dangerous spots inside the penalty area, he has the ability to play really in any spot across the front line, and he gives an incredible amount in terms of his work against the ball.

"We're really pleased with Jules, and he continues to push himself in a really good way."

Someone Hall has been able to lean on in the Red Bulls' squad is veteran Emil Forsberg. The 34-year-old Sweden international has been in the Red Bull system since joining Leipzig in 2015, moving to the MLS club in January of 2024.

"They're young kids," Forsberg said of Hall and the rest of the significant amount of young talent in the Red Bulls' squad. "They want to get better every day, so for me it's more just to let them know how good they are and how good they can be.

"But also that they can't do it without hard work. Stay humble, and work hard. It's not gonna be easy all the time, and I think you can see that during the season as well. It's hard games, it's tough, it doesn't always go with you. It's just being positive, being there mentally, but also for these kids to know it's not always gonna be ups, ups, ups, it's gonna be downs as well."

With his contract set to expire in 18 months, sources confirmed to The Sporting News that Hall has had interest from a number of teams in Europe. Ultimately, though, he decided to sign a contract extension with the Red Bulls in late August, putting pen to paper on a new four-year deal that runs through the end of the 2029/30 MLS season. That doesn't mean that he will stay that long, with European interest likely to continue flowing in as long as his profile remains strong, but it does mean he's comfortable where he is for now.

"I feel like I'm always trying to prove to myself the most that I belong," Hall said about proving his capabilities at such a young age. "I know what I'm capable of and I know I can always do more, and for me it's just about trying to get better every day and helping the team. I feel like I've gone through that since I signed when I was 15, and just trying to take that 'too young' aspect out of it because I feel like it doesn't really matter how old you are. If you're good enough, you should play."

So, now that he's able to put his head back down and focus on the rest of the season, what does soccer mean to Julian Hall?

Everything.

"It's like, my whole world, honestly. Like 90 percent of my day... 50 percent of my day is here [at the Red Bull training ground], I'm playing football. When I go home, I'm thinking about it. I go home, I'm playing FIFA, so it's still part of my life there. So almost 90 percent of my life is football. I want to say 100 percent because I'm always thinking about it, because it's so important. It just means the world to me."

With that mindset leading the way, the kid may find himself in a national team jersey very soon. The real question is, which one?