Cole Campbell is the latest American soccer star making waves in Europe and he credits his mom

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The breakout American star of the soccer season so far in Germany, Cole Campbell, has help from an experienced training partner — his mom.

Rakel Karvelsson was a pro player in the U.S. and played internationally for Iceland. Two decades on, she's a “soccer mom” like few others, still helping Campbell develop his game as he makes waves in the German Bundesliga with seemingly fearless small-town team Elversberg.

“My mom knows so much about football," Campbell told reporters Tuesday. “Having a mom also that played football, it’s great. I can also train with her, which is fun. ... She challenges me to a two-touch battle. She doesn’t win anymore but in the past, when I was younger, she used to beat me. That was, I think, maybe seven years ago when I was 13. When I was 14, 15, I started to beat her.”

Campbell's signing decision paid off with a debut goal

The 20-year-old Campbell joined Bundesliga newcomer Elversberg as the club's record signing in July after his career stalled at Borussia Dortmund. Taking a chance on a league newcomer paid off immediately as Campbell scored on his first league start in a stunning upset win over former champion Bayer Leverkusen.

A nimble winger, Campbell is a good fit on a young team which has showed it belonged at the top level and pushed Bayern Munich hard in a 2-1 loss last week after Campbell had a goal ruled out for a teammate's offside.

“I was confused because I turned and I didn’t see any of my teammates there (celebrating). So I was, like, ‘OK,’” he said.

From a town of just 13,000 people, Elversberg has a club ethos of playing “brave” soccer and not being overawed by being the underdog against almost any opponent it faces.

“The bravery for me as an offensive player is to not be afraid of going one against one, going and trying something instead of being scared and not trying it because of the reputation,” he said.

A rare mother-and-son soccer pro duo

Soccer has a long history of players following in their fathers' footsteps, like Norwegian star Erling Haaland, U.S. winger Tim Weah or Argentine World Cup finalist Giuliano Simeone.

The relatively short history of professional women's soccer means Campbell is one of the first active players whose mother was able to make a career in the sport.

Karvelsson was part of the first ever all-professional women's league in the U.S., the WUSA, when it launched in 2001. She was on the University of North Carolina team that won back-to-back national titles in 1996 and 1997 and scored seven goals in 10 games for Iceland. Campbell's father also played college soccer, too.

His mother's Nordic heritage was the reason Campbell made his pro debut in the Icelandic league in 2021 in a nation which punches above its weight in developing soccer players. He played briefly for Iceland's Under-17 team but switched to the U.S. in 2024 and says there's no going back.

“I've already made my decision to switch to the U.S. It was for a lot of different reasons, but my future is with the U.S., so that’s set. I have no second thoughts or anything, so that’s the thing for me that’s set in stone," he said.

Eyeing a U.S. national team debut

Campbell, who is friends with U.S. midfielder and former Dortmund teammate Gio Reyna, says he has been in contact with the U.S. national team's coaching staff for the last two years.

After seeing the “amazing” World Cup crowds from afar on vacation, Campbell now hopes his form for Elversberg can open the door to an international debut. His next chance to impress is Sunday against fellow promoted team Schalke.

“I’m just focused on trying to perform the best that I can and I’m praying that I get my first call-up, hopefully soon," he said. That would be a dream come true for me to represent my country.”

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