The 2007-born American winger Zavier Gozo, made his MLS debut with Real Salt Lake on October 14th, 2023, aged just 16 years and 206 days old. He went on to make 43 MLS appearances for the club. During his time in the MLS, he notched 10 goals and 7 assists in the league, putting in several stellar performances. During this time, he also featured for the USYNT at the U15 through U21 levels along the way.
By the Spring of 2026, Europe had been calling for months, but RSL held on to their newfound star. After putting up six goals and five assists in 16 MLS matches and a MLS All-Star selection, RSL finally agreed to sell their little star.
On August 18th, Gozo was unveiled as the newest Crystal Palace signing, aged just 19 years old. Ten days later he made his Premier League debut in the 68th minute against perennial powerhouse Manchester City. In his second matchday squad, he was an unused substitute in the 3-2 game away win at Fulham.
Gozo was included in the preliminary roster for the 2026 World Cup but ultimately did not feature in the final roster. The young American was more than hopeful to have made that final call up after a recent interview.
“I do think I deserved to be there. I’m going to be honest,” Gozo recently told The Late Run. “But obviously it’s the coach’s choice. Maybe he didn’t think I was ready, or whatever it is, but it just put a fire under me to make the next World Cup and show why I should be there.”
On September 7th, USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino held a press conference before the first USMNT Camp after the 2026 World Cup. When asked about the next generation of American players, he responded, “We are watching everything.”
Will Gozo get his call-up? After a mixed review of the 2026 World Cup Campaign, US fans are calling for the younger generation to be included in the rebuild process. After only a month at Crystal Palace, Poch may elect to leave him to continue to build a rhythm in England. But it seems that a USMNT debut is in the cards for the young American winger.
Zavier Gozo has entered stage left.
