A hulking centre-forward with a shock of blond hair and a beaming ear-to-ear smile, it is little wonder Chase Adams has earned the nickname ‘Baby Haaland’.
Perhaps the most striking attribute he shares with the Norwegian superstar, however, is his insatiable appetite for goals. Adams, who is primed to spearhead USA’s attack at the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™, comes alive when talking about putting the ball in the back of the net – and the many ways he can do so.
“The biggest thing I love about being a striker is just scoring,” he told FIFA. “I mean, just the thrill of it. Right away, when I started playing, I believe I was one of the best people at striking the ball. How I’ve improved is the consistency of my finishing, as well as developing different abilities to hit the ball. So being able to whip it, slide it across the ground, maybe even chip it… Just kind of being able to vary those finishes, which you need at the highest level to succeed and be unpredictable.”
Adams utilised those qualities to devastating – and headline-making – effect when he fired ten goals in a U-17 World Cup qualifier against US Virgin Islands back in February. His astonishing efforts gained nationwide attention, and he was interviewed on television by former USA national team stars Tony Meola and Jimmy Conrad.
“It was crazy,” said Adams, who now holds the record for the most goals scored by an American in a World Cup qualifier. “The biggest thing was not getting sucked into the social media part of it. I think my followers tripled!”
Remarkably, Adams’ participation in the match had been in doubt as he had been unwell the night before the game. “I got only got about an hour of sleep. I spent at least a couple of hours curled up in bed because my stomach was killing me,” he explained.
He had sufficiently improved come matchday, though, which represented ominous news for USA’s opponents. Adams swiftly got in the goalscoring groove and hit a hat-trick within the opening 13 minutes. Given his condition the evening before, did he consider taking his foot off the gas and conserving some energy?
“You don’t really get many opportunities to get five or six goals. So, when you do, I want to keep going. I want to be able to put my name out there and people be able to be like, ‘Oh yeah, Chase Adams, he scores goals. That’s who he is.’ I never want to ease off because if you do that, everything can start to fail.”
Adams’ description of his psyche brings us back to his “idol”, Erling Haaland.
“His mentality is to be non-stop,” said Adams. “He is like, ‘I don’t care how well I’m doing or how poorly I’m doing, it’s on to the next one, and that’s getting the next goal.’ He is relentless about it.”
While Adams is learning from Haaland from afar, day-to-day he is benefitting from expert guidance at Columbus Crew. He left his home in Illinois to join the Ohio-based club in 2023, citing the Crew’s commitment to investing in young players.
“It’s hard to describe how much they’ve done for me,” said Adams, who turned 17 in April. “They’ve been massive for my growth. They really want to integrate as much as they can – with the academy, the second team and the first team – trying to make sure everyone is one.”
Adams is currently in the Columbus Crew 2 squad, which is coached by Federico Higuain. Higuain, the brother of former Argentina and Real Madrid striker Gonzalo, played for the Crew as well as the likes of River Plate, Besiktas and Inter Miami.
“Federico had a great career,” said Adams. “He played in many countries and was an MLS legend with the Crew especially. As an attacking player, he sees things differently and understands the struggles that you go through. In a few games, sometimes you just don’t get it. It’s really helpful to have someone I can look up to and has had the stepping stones he’s had. He’s also spoken about his brother, with him being a striker. We’ve spoken about being patient. They both had to take their time at River Plate. When the chance comes, it’s about taking it.”
Adams is determined to seize his opportunity to shine at the U-17 World Cup, which gets under way in Qatar on 3 November. USA will take on Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, and Czechia in Group I, and the striker is convinced the Americans can go far.
“I’m excited for the games and the amount of attraction a World Cup brings. I’m also excited to travel. I love seeing different countries and cultures.
“I believe we have a top team. We have so much depth. If you look at the front five, it might just be one of the best in the tournament. You have myself, Julian Hall, Cavan Sullivan, Maximo Carrizo, Nimfasha Berchimas, Mathis Albert, Jamir Johnson… I could just go on and on! And you sub one person out, you’re getting just as dangerous a replacement. The backline is top quality too. I really believe we can get to the final and raise the trophy.”
As well as clinching USA’s maiden U-17 World Cup title, Adams is also eyeing a personal accolade which has been won by such luminaries as Victor Osimhen, Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Vela.
“I want to compete for that Golden Boot,” he said. “I think I made a little bit of a name for myself in the Concacaf qualifiers, but now it’s about making a name for myself at the World Cup. That’s where it really matters.”
