Why European clubs are already interested in teenage FC Tulsa, U.S. midfielder Nate Worth

Some midfielders take your breath away with sweeping diagonal balls over the defense. Others lurk in front of the back line, putting in crunching tackles to protect the box. Nate Worth has hints of both of those skills at age 16 – yes, you read that correctly – but his most important trait is a knack for little things that aren’t quite as eye-popping but every bit as vital.

A New Jersey native, Worth made his professional debut with New York Red Bulls II in 2022, earning a handful of appearances down the stretch. Already cemented as a fixture for the United States U-15 and U-16 national teams, Worth’s debut with the Baby Bulls in the USL Championship kept his profile on the rise. Another Championship team, FC Tulsa came calling in early 2023, inking Worth to a multi-year deal.

The midfielder took time to settle into life in Tulsa. But when given chances on the field? He started to shine.

In fact, Worth was undroppable in the thick of the playoff hunt, starting the club’s final nine games and going the full 90 minutes in eight of those matches. While the rising star was not selected as a part of the U.S. squad at the U-17 World Cup earlier this year after breaking out in Oklahoma, he’s not missing out on chances to shine in front of high-profile clubs. Worth has already spent time training with Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart during Tulsa’s offseason.