Orlando City's Justin Ellis scores first USMNT goal in debut | OneFootball

By Ari Liljenwall

Talk about a dream start.

Just four minutes into his US men's national team debut, Orlando City homegrown Justin Ellis opened the scoring against Peru on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium – his home field at the club level.

The breakthrough came from a Gio Reyna free kick, as the 19-year-old met Reyna's delivery and flicked his header inside the far post to help pace the USMNT to an eventual 4-1 win.

It was a storybook moment for one of MLS's brightest rising young talents.

Ellis earned his first senior USMNT call-up amid a breakout 2026 campaign with Orlando, recording 3g/11a across all competitions while developing instant chemistry with marquee summer signing Antoine Griezmann.

Ellis signed a first-team homegrown deal with Orlando in February after progressing through the club's academy and MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Orlando City B. He was previously named the 2025 U-19 MLS NEXT MVP and also won the Golden Boot at the 2025 Generation adidas Cup with a tournament-high six goals as Orlando captured the U-18 title.