Roman Avakian Gomez makes US U17 debut and provides an assist

Footballer of Armenian descent Roman Avakian  Gomez has made his first appearance for the United States U17 team. The Americans beat Scotland 4–1 in their opening match of a friendly tournament in Spain, with the 16-year-old Mainz player providing an assist.

For the Mainz academy player, the match was another step in an unusual journey through youth international football. Avakyan Gomez previously represented Armenia at U14 and U15 level and played for Mexico U16 in 2026. He has now been given a chance to impress with the team of the country where he was born. His father is Armenian and his mother is Mexican.

His debut brought an immediate contribution: Avakyan Gomez started against Scotland and recorded an assist. The United States have three more games during their trip to Spain: against the Netherlands on September 29, Belgium on October 1 and France on October 3. Those matches will give the coaching staff further opportunities to assess him against strong European opponents.

Avakyan Gomez’s story is of particular interest to Armenian supporters. He has already played for Armenia’s youth teams, including scoring for the U15s, but at this stage of his international career he is playing for the United States. An appearance in a friendly does not, on its own, settle which national team he may choose in the future. What is clear for now is that he is attracting invitations from different federations and has already made an impact at the next age level.

At club level, Avakyan Gomez plays for Mainz U17. He has been used in several positions on the flank: the German club lists him as a defender, while he is also capable of playing further forward. That versatility could help him establish himself in the United States U17 squad, which called him up for the first time ahead of this camp.