SSFC Spotlight: Cole Campbell breaks through at Borussia Dortmund

There is a distinct excitement whenever a player makes his first-team debut in a top-four league, doubly so when the club has a history of on-field success. Supporters and media begin penciling his or her name into future senior international rosters, with the hopeful belief that early potential will lead to future success. Cole Campbell is the newest American player to enjoy a breakthrough in Europe, making his first four appearances for Borussia Dortmund. The 18-year-old dual-national attacker has already changed his affiliation from Iceland to the United States and could be primed for a meteoric rise.

Born in Houston, Texas and the son of former top-division player Rakel Karvelsson, Campbell relocated with his family to Georgia and played with the Atlanta United Academy while regularly training with Icelandic side Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar, joining the latter outfit in January of 2020. He made his senior debut the following year at the age of 15, featured three times in the Lengjubikarinn (league cup), and played six minutes in a Besta deild karla (domestic league) fixture against Leiknir Reykjavík, helping to see out a 5-0 victory. The following season included an 18-minute substitute appearance in the league cup and another inclusion in the domestic league, with his club eventually claiming the title in the former competition.

“It’s such a good feeling to know that all the work I’ve put into football, to be able to get on the field, and all the things I’ve worked for are paying off,” Campbell shared with Visir. “I’ve been coming in the summer since I was eight years old, but I moved to Iceland when I was 13. So I’ve been here for about two years without going out… The dream is to go out when I turn 16. To sign for some team, but I don’t know which team right now. I’m here until I turn 16, in Iceland, but then the dream is to move abroad.”

In May of 2022, famed talent factory and finishing school Borussia Dortmund acquired the teenager, beating out Bayern Munich and “some top European clubs.” With the move waiting until the summer, Campbell joined Breiðablik on a short-term loan. He made a single appearance for the eventual league champions, playing five minutes in a 4-1 victory over Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar.

His first season in Germany was split between the U-17 and U-19 squads. He made 20 total appearances across all competitions, contributing seven goals and six assists while competing in the UEFA Youth League and claiming the U-19 Bundesliga West. Dortmund finished second for the overall title despite his 83^rd-minute finish in the 4-2 extra time loss in the final to FSV Mainz.

The next campaign was another productive venture with the U-19 team as Campbell produced 11 goals and 13 assists across all competitions and was a part of the senior squad’s winter training camp. Dortmund once again won the U-19 Bundesliga West before falling in the final to 1899 Hoffenheim. Amidst “a shift back to youth development,” the club signed him to a professional contract through June of 2028, with management praising him as “an extremely exciting talent who has taken a giant step forward.”

This season, the initial plan was to start with the juniors and be promoted to the U-23 side in January in order to provide a “gentle introduction.” However, having surprised the manager, Campbell is splitting time between the youth, reserve, and senior levels, receiving the most playing time with Dortmund II in the 3. Liga. After featuring on the first-team bench several times, he earned his senior debut in a Bundesliga fixture against Augsburg, making a cameo appearance in a 2-1 loss to FC Augsburg. A few days later, the attacker enjoyed a 43-minute run in a 1-0 extra time defeat to VfL Wolfsburg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal followed by a single minute in the 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig and 13 minutes to help clinch a 1-0 result in the Champions League over Sturm Graz.

At the international level, Campbell was eligible to represent Iceland through his heritage and the United States. In order to “follow in his mother’s footsteps,” he began playing with the former program in the U-15 team and featured with the U-17 group in five matches during qualifying for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, finding the back of the net in a 2-1 loss to Estonia. The Texan then filed and was approved for a one-time switch, accepting a call-up to his birth nation’s U-19 squad in March. His brace clinched a 3-2 friendly victory over England.

“The U.S. came calling and really pursued me,” Campbell told American Soccer Now. “I felt really wanted. Also, it’s an amazing opportunity to get to play for the U.S. national team. It’s really big and at the end of the day, I had to just look and say, Iceland was good, but the U.S. is a huge opportunity. I felt like that was what was best for me. That’s why I made the switch.”

Standing at five-foot-seven, Campbell is a versatile attacker who can line up at a variety of positions including winger and the ten, demonstrating a special “speed, finishing, and mentality.” He is praised as having “fantastic movement and skills on the ball” with “comfort taking players on and cutting inside from the wing” in order to drive toward the goal. Several times this season, the attacker has been the fastest player on the field, topping 21 miles per hour while flying past opponents in transition and pouncing on opportunities before defenders have a chance to react.

Campbell has been on an upward trajectory for several years, beginning with his early professional days in Iceland to now receiving playing time for Borussia Dortmund. The German club has rightfully earned the reputation as a talent factory and his development appears to be continuing at a steady pace. His next few years will be crucial and ultimately determine his ceiling, a future that could lead to competing with the USMNT at the next few World Cups.