The young midfielder made his mark in Qatar this fall, but that is just the beginning for a player with plenty of potential.
As members of the U.S. team warmed up for their U-17 World Cup clash with Morocco, it was easy to feel the tension in the air.
For some, it felt like outright animosity. Traveling fans from Morocco heckled the U.S. during warmups, making it clear long before kickoff that this match would be different – more real, more raw. That edge boiled over after the final whistle, when, following Morocco’s win, fans were seen mocking the U.S., and in particular 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan. These were kids playing in a youth tournament, yes, but they were treated like anything but children.
Most players on that U.S. U-17 team hadn't experienced anything quite like that before that World Cup game in Qatar. Jude Terry, though, had. Perhaps that's why he was among the best American players on that day, scoring a memorable goal despite the defeat.
It was a kind of pressure he hadn’t felt in some time, but it wasn’t unfamiliar. He’d grown up with it. As a kid in San Diego, Terry and his family would travel south to Mexico, where those matches offered his first real taste of that intensity – an edge that, in many ways, helped shape his rise.
"Living close to the border, we would always cross over to play five aside or tournaments down there, " Terry tells GOAL, "The culture there was a lot different than it was in San Diego. Crossing the border, playing against those kids, it was like they felt like if they lost, they'd die. Everything was just so competitive. All of these games were played in a packed little arena. It was loud. It felt like you were playing in a pro environment, but you're only five years old. For me, it was super fun."
For Terry, soccer has always been something he’s loved. His rise has taken him from prodigy in Chula Vista to Los Angeles FC Homegrown, and now to a youth World Cup stage with the U.S. At just 17, he already has that tournament experience behind him, and he’s eager for what comes next. Many believe there’s plenty more ahead for one of the brightest young prospects in American soccer.
He’ll have to deal with more games like Morocco – and the pressures that come with them. Terry, though, feels ready for those. In fact, he wants to seek them out.
"Before the game, we're warming up right in front of Morocco's fans, and they're all booing us," he says. "We couldn't even hear what our technical staff was saying. At the end of the day, that's what you want to be doing. When you're older, if you want to be playing against Real Madrid or Barca, you're going to be in a stadium full of 80,000 fans. That was a little glimpse of it.
"Playing in those tournaments, you get a glimpse of everything, but it's all a little different now that you're older, where, in a sense, it all means a lot more. Playing for your country is something massive, and being able to do so in a World Cup is super fun."
GOAL sat down with Terry to discuss his journey so far and where he wants that journey to take him in the coming years.
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Where it all began
"For me," Terry says, "I was born into it."
Terry was essentially raised in soccer. His father's side of the family has an Argentine background, so Terry was, naturally, raised on a steady diet of Lionel Messi highlights. His father and grandfather played recreationally, too, which allowed Terry's early soccer education to begin in-house. His dad was his first coach, the one who laid the foundations for everything that has come since.
His mother’s side of the family, meanwhile, is Mexican, creating a natural connection to the sport there as well. Terry admits they weren’t nearly as consumed by soccer as his Argentine relatives, but as he blossomed as a young player, that changed. Growing up just five minutes from the border, Terry often traveled to Mexico to play in those matches – games that showed him, early on, just how competitive the sport could be, even at the youngest levels.
There are home videos of Terry kicking a ball around the backyard at two years old. The love started early, and it never went away. The more Terry played, though, the better he got, eventually making a name for himself around his hometown of Chula Vista.
"When I was younger, I was more of a No. 9 or a 10," he says. "They'd let me just free roam. I'd get the ball and score all the time. When I was younger, I'd get invited to a lot of tournaments as a guest player. I realized, 'Oh, they want me to play so they can win'."
Eventually, Terry got the most important invite. In 2021, at age 12, he joined the LAFC academy, truly kickstarting his push towards the professional level.
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The big break
Shortly before he joined the LAFC Academy, Terry began the process of becoming a midfielder. It was a natural transition as it allowed him to continue to get on the ball and dictate games, even against better players.
"I think it was when I was 11 or 12, I think that's when I became a midfielder," he said. "I was more of a six at the start, and then I became more of an eight with more of an attacking role. I started playing more as that kind of midfielder, a dictator of the game."
The transition to LAFC wasn't easy, though. In addition to the step up in competition at one of MLS's most competitive clubs, Terry and his family had to deal with a whole other challenge: travel. The trips from San Diego County to LA were gruelling.
"I wish people talked about the sacrifice that my family has made," he says. "I think for three or so years, my mom would drive me up from San Diego to L.A. before I signed a contract to get me to practice. That's over two hours there and back. I wish more people recognized the sacrifice my family has made because it's super important to me. It's important to realize that it's not just me who has gotten this far, but my family, too."
Those long car rides were, ultimately, worth it. In December 2024, Terry was rewarded with a Homegrown contract, becoming the eighth such signing in LAFC’s history. The pathway has proven meaningful, too: fellow Homegrown Nathan Ordaz played 29 matches for the club last season, with 10 goal contributions.
“Jude is an exceptionally talented young player,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said at the time. “He has shown great development throughout his time with the Academy, LAFC2, and U.S. Youth National Teams, and he unquestionably earned this opportunity. We are excited to help him continue his progression at the MLS level.”
Still just 17, Terry has yet to make his MLS debut. He has, however, played in a World Cup, showing what he can do against the best players in his age group.
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How it's going
The U.S. U-17 group that travelled to Qatar for this fall's World Cup was one of the most talented in the program's recent memory. Sullivan is already something of a household name. Mathis Albert is already making waves at Borussia Dortmund. Players like Terry, Nimfasha Berchimas, and Julian Hall are among the highly-touted Homegrown stars tipped for big futures in MLS and, perhaps, beyond.
At that World Cup, Terry was ever-present for the U.S. team. He started two of the three group stage matches while coming off the bench in the other to help the U.S. win each of their first three matches. Their reward? A clash with Morocco, who would have the travelling support. They also have had the U.S. team's number, having previously knocked older age groups out of the Olympics and the U-23 World Cup.
On Nov. 14 in Qatar, Morocco continued their recent success against the Americans on the youth level again, defeating the U.S. in a shootout in the Round of 32. The game finished as a 1-1 draw ahead of that shootout. For the Americans, it was Terry who scored the goal that, for a while, looked like it could be the winner.
"I knew that when Mathis passed Cavan the ball, I should be in the box. I sprinted, and as soon as he was about to hit the ball, I was like, 'Yeah, this is coming to me,' " Terry said of his big moment. "I thought they'd stop it, but it ended up going in, so I just started running.
"In that moment, I don't know what I was doing. I just started going crazy. My mind went blank, and I started doing whatever I wanted to do. Scoring? You definitely remember that, though. For me, players always remember when they score."
The World Cup trip, as a whole, was memorable. It served as a reminder that Terry and his teammates can compete at a high level – and a lesson in how unforgiving that level can be. Despite leading for more than 70 minutes on the strength of Terry’s goal, a 90th-minute equalizer ultimately proved the U.S. team’s undoing. Those are the margins, and they are razor-thin.
Now, Terry is looking to build off that tournament experience as he looks to take the leap from youth player to senior player.
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Biggest strengths
If there was a word to describe Terry's game, it would be smooth. Terry plays with the right combination of flashy and effortless.
Over the years, Terry has bounced between midfield positions. He's not undersized by any stretch, at 5-foot-9, but he still has a good center of gravity. He's clean on the ball and can pass well. His biggest asset, at least to him, is his intelligence, though.
"I would consider myself smart tactically," he says. "I'm a very intelligent player when it comes to being on the ball or even just picking spaces. That's something I take pride in: outsmarting the opponent.
"Technically, I think I'm able to dribble past players or pick out players that maybe some other players my age can't pick out. I want to combine with teammates and dictate play. I just want to be technically and tactically good."
That said, there are still plenty of aspects of his game that need refining as he looks to take his game to the next level.
