George Oluwaseun Bello (born January 22, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for Austrian Bundesliga club LASK.
 Bello at an Atlanta United event in 2018 | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George Oluwaseun Bello[1] | ||||||||||
| Date of birth | January 22, 2002 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth | Abuja, Nigeria | ||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||
Current team | LASK | ||||||||||
| Number | 2 | ||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||
| –2011 | Southern Soccer Academy | ||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | Alpharetta Ambush | ||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Atlanta United | ||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Atlanta United 2 | 19 | (1) | ||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Atlanta United | 52 | (3) | ||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Arminia Bielefeld | 31 | (0) | ||||||||
| 2023– | LASK | 40 | (0) | ||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||
| 2017 | United States U15 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||
| 2017–2019 | United States U17 | 7 | (1) | ||||||||
| 2021–2022 | United States | 7 | (0) | ||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of December 7, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 10, 2022 | |||||||||||
Early years
editBorn in Abuja, Nigeria, Bello moved with his family to Douglasville, Georgia, when he was a year old.[2] During his early career, he played for Southern Soccer Academy, a youth soccer club affiliated with English club Chelsea, and the Alpharetta Ambush, where he played for five years.[2] While playing at Alpharetta Ambush, he played with future Atlanta United academy teammate Zyen Jones.[2]
After spending five years with the Alpharetta Ambush, Bello moved to the academy side at Atlanta United FC, a new expansion club for Major League Soccer.[2] His former coach, Tony Annan, now at Atlanta United as their academy director, was the one to reach out to Bello to join his side.[2]
In 2017, a couple of months after signing a professional contract with Atlanta United FC, Bello helped Atlanta United's under-16 side win the U.S. Soccer Development Academy U16 Championship.[3] His performance during the season saw him named 2016–17 East Conference U15/16 Player of the Year and also included in the East Conference U15/16 Best XI.[3]
Club career
editAtlanta United
editOn June 17, 2017, Bello, alongside teammates Lagos Kunga and Patrick Okonkwo, was signed by Atlanta United FC to a homegrown player contract which would start in 2018.[4] He made his professional debut on March 31, 2018, for Atlanta United 2, the club's reserve team, against Charlotte Independence. He started and played the whole match in a 2–2 draw.[5]
On September 2, 2018, Bello made his debut for the Atlanta United FC senior side in their Major League Soccer match against D.C. United. He came on as a 76th-minute substitute for Héctor Villalba as Atlanta United FC were defeated 3–1.[6] He scored his first professional goal a month later on October 6 against the New England Revolution. He scored his team's opening goal in the 17th minute of a 2–1 Atlanta United FC victory.[7] During the 2018 MLS Playoffs, Bello featured for Atlanta United FC twice from the bench but did not play as Atlanta United FC won the 2018 MLS Cup.[8]
The next season, Bello made his international club debut for Atlanta United FC in the CONCACAF Champions League against Herediano on February 21. He started as a left-wide back as Atlanta United FC were defeated 3–1.[9] In May 2019, it was confirmed that he would miss two to three months of the season with an injury to his right adductor.[10] Returning in August, Bello went on to only play 12 matches with Atlanta United 2 in the USL Championship and none with Atlanta United FC during the 2019 season.[11]
Arminia Bielefeld
editOn January 31, 2022, Bello joined German Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[12][13]
LASK
editOn July 14, 2023, Bello signed a contract as a free agent for Austrian Bundesliga side LASK until 2026.[14]
International career
editBello has represented the United States at both the under-15 and under-17 level. He was part of the under-15 squad that won the Torneo Delle Nazioni in 2017. The United States won every match in which he started.[15] On October 10, 2019, he was named in the under-17 squad for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.[16]
In January 2021, Bello was called into the United States national team for their friendly against Trinidad and Tobago.[17] He made his debut in the match on January 31, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute in the 7–0 victory.[18] On July 17, 2021, he was named by head coach Gregg Berhalter into the 23-man squad for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[19] He started in two matches for the United States as they made it into the final against Mexico. Bello was named as a starter for the match and played 65 minutes as the United States won 1–0 after extra-time.[20]
Personal life
editBello is named after his grandfather, Georgie.[21] His father was an amateur player in Nigeria and helped Bello develop his interest in the game.[15] Bello also ran track and field in high school and helped his school win the 2016 Georgia team state championship.[21] His favorite soccer players growing up were Neymar and Lionel Messi but he also was interested in the left back position and watched videos of David Alaba and Marcelo.[15]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played December 19, 2024[22]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Atlanta United 2 | 2018 | United Soccer League | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | USL Championship | 12 | 1 | – | – | – | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2020 | USL Championship | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 1 | – | – | – | 19 | 1 | |||||
| Atlanta United | 2018 | Major League Soccer | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2019 | Major League Soccer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020 | Major League Soccer | 20[c] | 1 | – | 1[b] | 0 | – | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2021 | Major League Soccer | 29 | 1 | – | 4[b] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 34 | 1 | ||
| Total | 52 | 3 | – | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 3 | |||
| Arminia Bielefeld | 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | – | – | – | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | 2. Bundesliga | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Total | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |||
| LASK | 2023–24 | Austrian Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6[e] | 0 | – | 33 | 0 | |
| 2024–25 | Austrian Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8[f] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| Total | 40 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 142 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 173 | 5 | ||
- ^ Includes DFB-Pokal and Austrian Cup
- ^ a b c Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions League
- ^ Includes two appearances in MLS is Back Tournament group stage
- ^ Appearance in MLS Cup Playoffs
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, six appearances in UEFA Conference League
International
edit| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2021 | 6 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | |
Honors
editAtlanta United
United States
Individual
References
edit- ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: USA" (PDF). FIFA. October 31, 2019. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Patrick, Joe (August 10, 2018). "George Bello: Atlanta United's 16-year-old wonderkid on the brink of a breakthrough". Dirty South Soccer. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "George Bello named US Soccer Development Academy Player of the Year". Dirty South Soccer. July 14, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2002.
- ^ Rodriguez, Alicia (June 17, 2017). "Atlanta United FC sign three Homegrown players for 2018 season". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ "Charlotte Independence 2–2 Atlanta United 2". Soccerway.
- ^ "D.C. United 3–1 Atlanta United FC". Soccerway.
- ^ "Atlanta United 2–1 New England Revolution". Soccerway.
- ^ "Atlanta United 3–1 New York City FC". Soccerway.
- ^ "Herediano 3–1 Atlanta United FC". Soccerway.
- ^ Huntle, Sydney (May 3, 2019). "George Bello out for 2-3 months with injury to right adductor". Dirty South Soccer. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ Patrick, Joe (February 10, 2020). "George Bello cleared from hospital after head injury; says injury not "as bad as feared"". Dirty South Soccer. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ "Atlanta United Transfers Defender George Bello to Arminia Bielefeld in German Bundesliga | Atlanta United FC". atlutd.
- ^ "DSC Arminia verpflichtet George Bello". www.arminia.de. January 31, 2022.
- ^ "LASK SIGNS US INTERNATIONAL GEORGE BELLO". US Soccer. July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c Sciaretta, Brian (August 15, 2018). "U.S U-17 standout George Bello eyeing a breakthrough with Atlanta". American Soccer Now. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ "HEAD COACH RAPHAEL WICKY NAMES USA ROSTER FOR 2019 FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL". US Soccer. October 10, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ Usry, Rob. "Miles Robinson, George Bello named to USMNT senior roster for friendly". Dirty South Soccer. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ "United States 7–0 Trinidad and Tobago". Soccerway.
- ^ Edwards, Andy (July 17, 2021). "23-man USMNT roster for Gold Cup". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ "United States 1–0 Mexico". Soccerway.
- ^ a b "George Bello". US Soccer.
- ^ a b George Bello at Soccerway
- ^ "George Bello". National Football Teams.
- ^ "United States beats Mexico in Gold Cup final on late Miles Robinson header". ESPN. August 1, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ "2021 MLS All-Star Team Roster". MLSsoccer.