Giakoumakis, Almada Among Atlanta United Players Called Up

You’ve got six Five Stripes getting the call to rep their countries in March. Defender Luis Abram is back with Peru, while midfielder Thiago Almada joins Argentina’s U-23s. Jay Fortune suits up for Trinidad and Tobago, Giorgos Giakoumakis plays for Greece, Bartosz Slisz joins Poland and Caleb Wiley joins the U.S. U-23s. With World Cup and Euro qualifying on the line, these guys are getting big opportunities to shine for their national teams. You love to see it. Now let’s break down who’s playing when and what’s at stake.

Abram, Almada Lead Way for Peru and Argentina

With national team call-ups come opportunities to represent your country on the biggest stages. For Atlanta United, six players will get that chance over the next week. Defenders Luis Abram and Thiago Almada will join Peru and Argentina, respectively, for friendlies.

Abram, who has 39 caps for Peru, will face Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The 26-year-old center back has been a mainstay for Peru, playing in multiple World Cup qualifiers and Copa Americas. His experience will be invaluable for a Peru side looking to build depth.

Almada’s call-up is for Argentina’s U-23 team to play Mexico. The 22-year-old playmaker is coming off helping Argentina win gold at the 2024 Olympics. Almada captained the U-23s during Olympic qualifying and was the joint top scorer. His five goals and two assists led Argentina to an Olympic berth. Almada made his senior debut in 2022 and has four caps so far.

Midfielders Jay Fortune and Bartosz Slisz will represent Trinidad and Tobago and Poland, respectively, in Nations League play. Fortune, 21, will face Canada, looking to make his second senior appearance. Slisz, 24, and Poland host Estonia as both teams aim to qualify for Euro 2024. Slisz has made six appearances for the Polish National Team, making his debut in a World Cup Qualifying match against San Marino on Sept. 5, 2021. He also represented Poland at the U-18, U-20 and U-21 levels with a total of 28 appearances.

Defender Caleb Wiley joins the U.S. U-23s  for two friendlies against Guinea on March 22 in Olot, Spain and against France on March 25 in Montbeliard, France as the team continues its preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The 19-year-old is looking to gain experience ahead of the 2024 Olympics. Wiley has two USMNT caps and is a promising prospect.

Finally, Giakoumakis joins Greece for a playoff semifinal match in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying against Kazakhstan in Athens, Greece on March 21. The winner will face the winner of Georgia and Luxembourg on March 26 to play for a spot in UEFA Euro 2024. The 29-year-old forward has represented Greece at both the U-21 and senior level. He’s made 20 appearances with the senior team and scored four goals for his country.

With national team duty comes the possibility of glory. For these six Atlanta United players, the chance awaits to achieve success on the international stage.

It’s awesome to see these guys getting opportunities to play at the highest level for their national teams. As a fan, I’ll be tuning in to cheer them on and hope they kick some butt out there. It’s a proud moment seeing players from our club getting called up and making a difference on the global stage. I’m pumped to see what they can do out there wearing their country’s colors. When they return to Atlanta, these experiences will only make them better players and leaders for our five stripe squad. Go make us proud guys!