Ex-U.S. youth defender Noahkai Banks picks Germany over USMNT - ESPN

The German Football Federation announced on Friday that coveted dual-national defender Noahkai Banks has pledged his international future to Germany over the United States.

In a news release, Germany under-21 coach Antonio Di Salvo said that both Banks and Tunisian dual-national forward Louey Ben Farhat of Karlsruher SC have «chosen to represent Germany.»

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«We've been in contact with both of them for a while now and had focused our efforts on them,» Di Salvo said in a statement. «I'm very pleased that we have been able to lay out a future pathway with Germany for them and that they agreed with it.»

The news of Banks' decision will come as a disappointment to the U.S. men's national team program, which remains thin at center back.

Banks previously represented the U.S. at the 2023 U17 World Cup, meaning he'll have to file a one-time change of association with FIFA in order to make his choice official. According to a FIFA portal tracking changes of association, Banks' request hadn't yet gone through as of Friday.

Banks, 19, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to an American father and German mother, but in an interview with ESPN in February, Banks' mother Nadine Kinkel said the family moved back to Germany when Noahkai was 7 weeks old. While Banks traveled regularly to the U.S. to visit his father Sedrick, he has lived in Germany most of his life, and rose through the ranks of FC Augsburg starting at age 9. Banks has so far made 35 appearances in all competitions for Augsburg, scoring one goal.

Following Banks' participation in the 2023