Noahkai Banks is one player that many U.S. men’s national team fans would’ve wanted to see during March’s international window, but that won’t reportedly happen.
Banks will not be called up to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad later this month, German outlet Kicker reported Wednesday. The decision comes down to Banks wanting to keep open the possibility of playing for Germany in the future, according to the report.
Although Banks has not yet earned a call up from Germany, he could currently play for the program’s Under-21 side.
The 19-year-old was born in Hawaii and moved to Germany when he a young kid. After coming up through Augsburg’s academy, Banks made his first-team debut last season and has since become a consistent starter during the 2025-26 campaign.
He’s scored one goal and added one assist in 21 appearances for Augsburg this season, a major jump up from his eight appearances a season ago.
On the international level, Banks has featured for several U.S. youth national teams, including the Under-17’s, U-19’s and U-20’s. Banks played at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023 and has since only featured in friendlies for the U-19’s and U-20’s.
He did earn his first senior call up under Pochettino last September, but did not feature against South Korea or Japan.
Banks recently opened up about his international future in a Bundesliga interview saying “I’m still deciding, I know that a World Cup is coming up. But I have a long career ahead of me, so I don’t want to make it dependent on a tournament.”
Augsburg sits ninth in the Bundesliga table and next travels to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The club will also host Stuttgart on March 22 before the international break gets underway.
Noahkai did not play today against Dortmund. Perhaps the manager sat him as he’s had a very distracting week.
IV,
Come on kid, keep perspective.
It is correct, Banks has quality and potential…large frame that will fill out more, athletic, fast, strong, and good technical skill.
It is incorrect to say Noahkai is excellent…someday he may become excellent, but at this time, that is not the case.
Also, it is not true that he is technically superior to Ream…that is objectively and categorically false. When you make such hyperbolic proclamations, along with other interesting takes, you get skewered by Johnnyrazor et al, and rightfully so.
Anyone that has watched him play can see the potential and skill. That said, let’s not forget he is 19 years old, getting experience, and consistently plays as such. In addition to his positive moments, there are plenty of “learning” moments, as would be expected of young pro…he loses focuses, is undisciplined at times, gets caught out of position, makes silly / unnecessary fouls, and as a result, gets more yellow cards than needed.
The fact that Banks is even in contention for a spot on the USMNT roster is a confluence of his quality / potential, as well as our lack of competition and quality options amongst our back line. Because of this, he is neither the definitive answer at one of the
If Banks doesn’t come into camp this month, and as a result, doesn’t play for the USMNT, that would not be ideal. That said, as was already pointed out, had he played this past September, that guaranteed nothing.
At this time, he is listening to Germany and considering all his options, because in this day and age, players can say what they want, but at the end of the day, they choose their National Team based on a business decision…one that will best put them in the shop window, and in doing so, hope that it translates to better opportunities on the club level.
That’s all this decision is…nothing more…nothing less.
banks is excellent. he might be a little lean and gawky at this age but we’re talking a CB with the height to win headers, some willingness to battle ball on the ground, passes well, enough foot speed to beat B.1 backs down the wing and deliver a cross.
what’s funny is the people who previously backed “offensive backs” like brooks (and supposedly ream) are kind of quiet, maybe because they are more about defending the status quo, which he ain’t yet. and so they are backing ream and co., the regulars, who are inferior to this kid technically, and already meh at their defensive job, as has been abundantly clear from years of struggle. i dunno, some US fans have some weird decontextualized ideas how we lost for 3 years. like it was specific tactics and players doing it.
this is very simple. we were up on japan 2-0 by 64′ last september. banks was on the bench. you cap the kid off the bench. anyone who watches him play 5 seconds sees he has more talent than anyone we have in the CB slots except maybe richards. that cap begins emotionally and morally tying him to us if not legally. you then don’t hear this “i dunno” mess in march.
we instead put on harriel for blackmon, when harriel had one of the bigger nightmares in USMNT history last summer. people talk random “merit” crap. did you see who the subs were that game? harriel? mcglynn? downs? LDLT? oh, wow, overwhlemed by that merit….
Banks was said to have an injury that camp. He did not play the next weekend in Germany. Then didn’t come in later in the fall. Now it feels like it might have been a leak to protect him if he was choosing not to play because of dual national decisions. Whether a healthy scratch, a knock, or indecision from Banks, ten minutes against Japan wouldn’t have cap tied him anyway. What’s your term “ethically cap tied”? That’s not a real thing so we’d still be in the same place.
“Morally cap tied”
Richard Ledezma
Julian Araujo
Esmir Bajraktarevic
Brian Gutierrez
Nevin Subotic?
Tx3Stepper, “morally cap tied” according to IV only counts if you have a full NT cap. Subotic I think only played for youth teams.
IV,
Is this all you got?
Florian Plettenberg, the Tom Bogart of German soccer media or the German Fabrizio Romano, has reported that Poch has been pushing hard for Banks to join the US in March. The two have reportedly had phone conversations recently and Banks has not heard from German officials.
Noakau Banks stated he never thought he was goid enough to play for Germany which was always his first choice. Hence why he chose to play for US at youth level. Sorry that is a mentality and player I dont want on my national team. Nagelsman has personally talked with Banks. Poch is right you should never accept being a players second choice. Fans need to grow a pair.
I don’t think this means he’s definitely going with Germany. Maybe just take him at his word, he isn’t sure yet. Nothing wrong with that. Fairly mature if you ask me. He knows he’s not quite ready to feature heavily for either national team and maybe he wants more experience before jumping into the international game. For all his talent, he is only 19 and Bundesliga is the highest level he’s played. Another year or two might see him transfer and play in tougher competitions. That will give a better perspective on a very personal decision. I wish him luck whatever he decides.
There aren’t many tougher competitions than the Bundesliga. Sure, theres the EPL, but that’s about it.
It would be a little surprising, but he could feature for the USA this summer, if he got called, and if chose to play for us. Right now, Richards is the only lock at CB. Ream is pretty close to a lock, but at his age you never know. If we play 3 CBs, the competition for that third spot is pretty wide open. I’ve never seen Banks play, but you’d have to give a Bundesliga starter (even if he’s only 19 y/o) a decent shot at beating out CBs from Lique 1 (McKenzie), SPL (Trusty), and MLS (Robinson).
And I agree that he isn’t experienced, but as they say, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
Late reply johnny, but I get the feeling his hesitation is more mental/emotional than physical. I watched a couple of his games recently, and there is no doubting his talent, in fact I remember thinking he’s already better than Scally at the same position in same league and is obviously learning “on the fly.” I’m not sure he’s an obvious upgrade right now over McKenzie/Trusty/Robinson, but it looks like within a year or so, he could easily be our 2nd best CB. He’s not quite as big as Richards, but may be faster, and will probably end up more technical. But for all that, he has less than a year playing Bundesliga, has never played CL/Europe/international, all of which are a definite step up. His desire to build up to that seems reasonable, to me at least.
Saw that coming. He will be playing for Germany. Germany has aging CB’s and not many top CB options going into 2030 cycle. Banks is gone folks. Stop relying on foreign born players who have estranged American fathers. Continue to work on American born talent.
You dont know what your talking about. He played for USMNT yt 17, 19, and 20 nat teams never played for Germany boys or mens youth national teams. “Stop relying on foreign born players who have estranged American fathers. Continue to work on American born talent.” Its giving trumper, its okay to think alt account.
Bro he’s gone. Who cares if he played for our youth teams. He will get called up to Germany’s senior team. He wants to play for Germany pretty evodent. And yes we need to focus on American born talent. Not players who are tied more to their country of origin. Not that hard to understand. If a foreign born player wants to play for the US because he has an American parent then thats cool. But we shouldn’t be chasing players who waffle. I fully am on board with Pochettino on that and Poch isnt even American.
And dont make this about politics. This about producing our own talent, so we dont have to get all up and arms when a dual nay waffles.
2tone,
Banks was born in Honolulu to an American father and a German-Spanish mother. Hawaiians are American citizens. They can even vote. You may have heard of Jason Momoa, Tua Tagovailoga, Thomas Magnum and Bruno Mars. They are Americans too. So was Bobby Wood.
Banks and his family moved back to Germany when he was just seven weeks old, later splitting time between Washington, D.C., and Germany
His parents separated when he was around four or five and he moved permanently to Germany with his mother, settling in the Bavarian town of
Dietmannsried.
He has not been capped by the USMNT.
The idea that the current senior team is “relying” on Banks for anything is ridiculous. They have managed to get where they are right now without a single minute from him. Besides they can always use Sands at CB or Eric Palmer Brown assuming Sands doesn’t have a broken leg or EPB has finally fully recovered from his terrible knee injury.
And contrary to what you wrote, Germany has got serious competiton for Banks.
Birth Year Current Club NationalTeam Level
Banks 2006 FC Augsburg US Youth / Germany?
Jeltsch 2006 VfB Stuttgart Germany U21
Collins 2004 E. Frankfurt Germany U21
Morgalla 2004 VfL Bochum Germany U21
Thiaw 2001 Newcastle United Germany Senior
And I forgot :
Max Rosenfelder SC Freiburg 23 years old
Tim Oermann Leverkusen 22
Tarek Buchmann Nurnberg 21
And you won’t have to wait until 2030. Germany is a 2 year cycle team so we’ll probably find out about Bank’s Germany fate by the 2028 Euros. He is supposedly being tracked by “bigger” clubs.
His Germany fate probably depends on which of those clubs lands him and how he does there.
He would not be the first BFD prospect to go from a mediocre, mid level and modest club to rotting away into obscurity at a big club.
Banks is full of potential. In other words, he ain’t done shit yet.
Being potentially better than Mark Mckenzie, Jalen Neal ,Miles Robinson or even Chris Richards doesn’t guarantee him a spot with Germany.
Cool so he has basically no ties to America. He lived here for 7 weeks. Gotcha. Sorry DFB want him. And he is waffling. And Germany projects hom as a future CB. He isnt going into obscurity dude.
You named a couple of CBs that may end up in obscurity. See how that works.
Sorry dude Banks is gone. The amount of first team minutes and tye way he is playing has Germany salivating. He has lived his whole life in Germany. Focus on our own upcoming talent.
And Thiaw… I am a huge AC Milan fan, there is a reason Milan didnt tie him down. And quite frankly Newcastle fans are teal8zing that too.
2tone,
“Cool so he has basically no ties to America. He lived here for 7 weeks. Gotcha.”
Not exactly. Moving to Germany to live permanently with his mom does not mean he did not come back to the states to visit his father and that side of his family frequently. One proof of this is that his continued connection to his father and friends in the U.S. influenced his initial decision to play for U.S. youth national teams. Hard to do that if you’re never in the US.
“And Thiaw… I am a huge AC Milan fan, there is a reason Milan didnt tie him down. And quite frankly Newcastle fans are teal8zing that too.”
And that is why Howe has given Thiaw 44 games? So you’re telling us that Thiaw and the 6 other CB candidates I listed are all useless shit? And that Germany just can’t wait to get rid of these “aging CB’s” so that Banks can waltz in and save them?
That did not add up so I went back and dug a little deeper.
Malick Thiaw
(born August 8, 2001) is a German professional footballer who currently plays as a centre-back for Newcastle United in the Premier League and for the Germany national team. Known for his physical presence (1.94m/6’4″), aerial dominance, and composure on the ball, he has quickly established himself as a key figure in Newcastle’s defense.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As of March 2026, Thiaw is enjoying a breakout debut season in England following his approximately £30–35 million move from AC Milan in August 2025.
• Newcastle: He has become a mainstay in Eddie Howe’s starting XI, often preferred over other veteran options. He is currently considered one of Newcastle’s best recent signings due to his consistent fitness and reliability.
• Goalscoring Form: Thiaw has already scored 5 goals in all competitions this season, including a brace against Everton in November 2025.
• European Performance: He has been a regular in Newcastle’s UEFA Champions League campaign. He missed the second leg against Qarabağ in February 2026 due to a yellow card suspension.
• Transfer Interest: He has reportedly attracted interest from clubs like Manchester United and Bayern Munich, who are rumored to be interested in him for the summer 2026 window.
2025–26 Season Statistics
Data as of March 12, 2026:
Competition Apps Goals Assists Yellow Cards Clean Sheets
Premier League 26 4 0 3 4
Champions League 10 1 0 3 4
EFL Cup 5 0 1 1 0
FA Cup 3 0 0 1 0
Total 44 5 1 8 8
Career Timeline
• Schalke 04 (2015–2022): Developed in the youth academy and made his professional debut in March 2020. He helped the team win the 2. Bundesliga title in 2021/22.
• AC Milan (2022–2025): Moved to Italy for roughly €7 million. Initially a backup, he broke into the starting lineup in early 2023, famously putting in a Man of the Match performance against Tottenham in the Champions League. He won the Supercoppa Italiana during his tenure.
• International: Born in Germany to a Senegalese father and Finnish mother, he holds dual citizenship but represents Germany. He was part of the squad that won the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and made his senior debut in June 2023.
Thiaw and Banks are both tall, physical, and composed modern centre-backs with dual-national backgrounds connected to Germany. While Thiaw is currently more established at the elite European level with Newcastle United, Banks is emerging as one of the Bundesliga’s most promising teenage defenders at FC Augsburg.
Comparison Overview
Feature Malick Thiaw Noahkai Banks
Current Club Newcastle United FC Augsburg
Age 24 (born Aug 2001) 19 (born Dec 2006)
Height 1.94m (6’4″) 1.93m (6’4″)
Primary Foot Right Right
25/26 League Goals 4 (Premier League) 1 (Bundesliga)
National Team Germany USA (Youth) / Germany?
Market Value ~€52m ~€15m
Key Differences & Similarities
Experience & Level: Thiaw is a established senior international who has played in the Champions League for both AC Milan and Newcastle. Banks is in his first full season as a top-flight starter, having only made his professional debut in January 2025.
Playing Style: Thiaw: Known for his high passing accuracy (92% in the Premier League) and aerial dominance. He has shown a significant goal-scoring threat this season with 5 goals across all competitions.
Banks: Described as a “rangy” defender with an expansive passing range, drawing comparisons to a young Mats Hummels. He is statistically strong in distribution, averaging 2.7 accurate long balls per 90 minutes.
Defensive Metrics: Thiaw averages a higher volume of successful tackles and interceptions in a more intensive league, while Banks maintains a solid 60% duel win rate in the Bundesliga, which is exceptional for a 19-year-old.
2025–26 season,
Malick Thiaw is performing at an elite level as a primary defensive and offensive threat for Newcastle United, while Noahkai Banks is establishing himself as a reliable young starter for FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
Season Statistics Comparison (All Competitions)
Data current as of March 12, 2026
Metric Malick Thiaw (NEW) Noahkai Banks (FCA)
Appearances 44 21
Minutes Played 3,705 1,657
Goals 5 (4 PL, 1 UCL) 1
Assists 1 1
Passing Accuracy 92% 90%
Clean Sheets 8 5
Successful Tackles 26 15
Yellow Cards 8 8
Deep Dive into Performance
• Goalscoring Presence: Thiaw is statistically one of the most dangerous defenders in Europe this season. His 5 goals place him in the 87th percentile for goals among center-backs, aided by his 12 shots on target and a high volume of headed attempts (15).
Banks recorded his first senior goal against Wolfsburg in February 2026.
• Ball Distribution: Both players are exceptionally comfortable on the ball. Thiaw maintains a higher overall accuracy (92%) while playing in a high-pressing Newcastle system.
Banks, however, is notable for his progressive play, averaging a high volume of successful passes into the final third (107) for Augsburg.
• Defensive Reliability: Thiaw has been more active defensively due to his increased minutes and Champions League exposure, recording 26 successful tackles and 25 interceptions.
Banks has shown high efficiency in duels, though he has struggled slightly with discipline, picking up 8 yellow cards in just 21 matches.
• Availability & Consistency: Thiaw has started 75% of Newcastle’s league games and 83% of their Champions League matches.
Banks transitioned into a starting role after initially being used as a substitute, missing a key match against Bayern Munich in January 2026 due to suspension.
Malick Thiaw and Noahkai Banks have both experienced significant market value growth over the last yea. Thiaw’s rise reflects his transition to an elite Premier League starter, while Banks represents a surging “breakout” prospect in the Bundesliga.
Market Value Growth (March 2025 – March 2026)
Thiaw’s value nearly doubled following his high-profile move to England,
Banks has seen a 150% increase since the start of the current season.
Player Value (March 2025) Value (March 2026) Growth %
Malick Thiaw ~€25.00m €44.00m +76%
Noahkai Banks ~€2.50m €15.00m +500%
Malick Thiaw
: His value jumped significantly after Newcastle United triggered a €35 million transfer from AC Milan in August 2025. His current Transfermarkt value of €40–44m reflects his status as one of Germany’s top defensive talents.
Noahkai Banks
Banks began the 2025–26 season with an estimated value of just €6 million. Following a string of 18 consecutive Bundesliga starts for FC Augsburg, his value surged to €15 million by December 2025.
________________________________________
Premier League Statistical Comparison (2025–26)
Thiaw stands out among elite Premier League defenders for his attacking threat and aerial efficiency, rivaling even Virgil van Dijk in certain metrics.
Metric (League Only) Thiaw (NEW) Saliba (ARS) VDijk (LIV)
Goals 4 1 3
Passing Accuracy 92% 95% 92%
Aerial Duel Win % 75.7% ~60% 77.6%
Clean Sheets 4 10 9
Successful Tackles 18 16 9
• Attacking Output: Thiaw’s 4 league goals (5 in all competitions) make him the highest-scoring centre-back among this group. This is driven by his high volume of shots on target (8) compared to Saliba (1).
• Aerial Dominance: Thiaw is statistically the closest challenger to
Van Dijk in the air. While Van Dijk leads the league with 104 aerial duels won at a 77.6% success rate, Thiaw follows closely with a 75.7% win rate.
• Defensive Stability:
Saliba remains the benchmark for defensive organization, leading with 10 clean sheets and a superior 95% passing completion rate. Thiaw, however, registers more successful tackles (18) than both
Saliba (16) and Van Dijk (9) in the Premier League this season.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
What I got from all this raw data is that :
+ Thiaw is 5 years older. He’ll be 26-27 at Euro 2028 and 28-29 at the 2030 World Cup. Not exactly too old. We’re not talking Tim Ream years here.
+ Thiaw is not the crap player you say he is.
+ Banks is very, very promising. The difference between him and Thiaw is that Thiaw has moved from Schalke to Milan and was successful enough at Milan, your disdain notwithstanding, to earn himself a 35 million move to Newcastle. And based on the stats, he has been useful at Newcastle, a higher, tougher level than Augsburg. Thiaw has proved he can translate his promise at Schalke to success at Milan and then the same from Milan to Newcastle.
With Germany Nagelsmann has praised Thiaw for how “immediately” he became a key player after moving to England. He noted that Thiaw has “stabilized” his performances and is thriving as a regular Premier League starter. Nagelsmann recalled him in November 2025, stating he “deserved to be back” based on his outstanding form. Nagelsmann considers Thiaw a “fantastic player” who provides crucial balance to the squad. He views Thiaw and Waldemar Anton as different but equally capable options to step in for injured veterans like Nico Schlotterbeck.
By comparison Banks has not proven he can translate his considerable promise to a team besides Augsburg yet.
Banks will likely have to move on from Augsburg soon and let’s see if he is as successful at wherever he winds up as Thiaw was at Milan and then at Newcastle.
Banks is promising but he’s hardly the slam dunk #1 for Germany going forward that you portray him to be. He’s not going to just waltz in there.
And Banks might change his mind between now and the March friendlies or the May provisional deadline.
I can tell you from personal experience that American teenagers have been known to suddenly change their mind for no fucking reason. And he is an American teenager until he’s not.
Wow! Impressive. I’ve been on this site since basically the beginning and, yeah, this is the longest post I’ve ever seen. I believe it would qualify as the longest article ever posted as well. Good effort! Truly! (TLDR)
Betinho,
Short version:
+ Banks is as “American” as anyone else currently in the pool
+ 2tone is telling us Banks is a guaranteed Germany CB regular after the 2026 WC. Maybe but he has very serious competition from more than a few guys.
+ 2tone is telling us that Thiaw is crap. He’s entitled to his opinion but just a basic look at the facts don’t support 2tone’s opinion. Unless Nagelsmann is a lying sack of shit or has been misquoted ( both entirely possible) he is pretty postive about both Thiaw and Banks.
He was literally born in America.
He was literally born in America.
Smart move. Very unlikely he makes the USA WC. Can’t hurt to keep our options open. I still think he’s playing with the US in 2030
Nope. Germany has aging CB”s. He will be playing for Germany.
That basically rules him out for the WC. Poch will not like him turning down a call up (if he would have been called up) to keep his Germany option open. I’m not too familiar with the Germany roster, but they’d have to be relatively weak in the CB position to consider a 19 year old with limited experience for this summer’s tournament.
Poch will be gone after this WC, so we’ll see how the next coach feels about Banks.
Yeah, zero chance Poch calls him, not without showing Pocht something, and this was his last chance this cycle. As for Germany…wow. These are the guys they’ve called in the last twelve months who are primarily centerbacks, though a couple can play right or left back as well.
Jonathan Tah, Bayern Munich (starter for BM, age 30)
Malick Thiaw, Newcastle (starter for NC, age 24)
Weldemar Anton, Borussia Dortmund (starter for BD, age 29)
Nico Schlotterbeck, Borussia Dortmund (starter for BD, age 26)
Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid (starter for RM, age 33)
Robin Koch, Eintracht Frankfurt (starter for EF, age 29)
Robert Andrich, Bayer Leverkusen (starter for BL, age 31)
Nnamdi Collins, Eintracht Frankfurt (starter for EF, age 22)
Thilo Kehrer, Monaco (starter for Monaco, age 29)
Yann Bisseck, Inter Milan (starter for Inter Milan, age 25)
So…zero chance Banks makes the plane for the 2026 WC for Germany too. A whole lot of top-tier CB’s are going to be staying at home for Germany in June. And for 2030, the only obvious one likely to be gone is Rudiger…though Tim Ream’s still playing for us at age 38, so nothing’s certain. Banks is certainly a player with substantial upside and I would absolutely not count out him being able to force his way in, granted…but Sweet Baby Jesus, that’s a pack of top-tier CB’s in his way.
I take him at his word. I know, that’s not how this world full of liars works anymore but, despite what IV thinks, you can’t cap a player against his will.
Banks seems to be taking a mature and responsible approach towards his career.
You don’t get any do-overs once you commit to your senior national team. This is not a choice you rush into.
Getting a spot on Die Mannschaft is clearly a much harder slog but, if he’s as good as a lot of “experts” say he is, he has a chance. What 19 year old isn’t as confident as hell? He would not be where he is if he did not have a ton of belief in himself. Playing for Germany in this World Cup may not be a realisitic objective but the 2028 Euros could be. And for German players that honor is nearly as serious.
He’ll be 20-21 then and who knows where he’ll be in the German pecking order.
Or in the USMNT pecking order.
And at that point his options will be much clearer.
Having said all that, you never know when that LED goes off in your head, so if Banks continues to stand out at Augsburg something, either with Die Mannshaft or with the USMNT, may yet change between now and May.
Germany has aging CB’s. Its a 26 man roster. Magellan likes youth. Won’t be surprised if he is on Germany’s WC roster.
Nagelsman not Magellan
I doubt he makes the Germany WC 26 team. If he can’t outpace our CB he’s not making it with Germany this WC.