Malik Jakupović

Malik Jakupović joined the Philadelphia Union academy at 14, in 2023, and worked his way through the U15, U16 and U18 age groups before he had even finished growing into the first team. A year later he was picked for the Generation adidas Cup Rising XI, an early marker that the club's staff had taken notice.

The forward turned professional at 15, signing with Philadelphia Union II in MLS NEXT Pro for the 2025 season. He scored on a regular basis from the start, finishing his first year with eight goals in 16 appearances, then adding two more in four matches at the outset of 2026. That scoring record, at an age when most of his peers were still in school, was what pushed his case for a first-team deal.

Philadelphia made it official on 2 April 2026, signing Jakupović to a Homegrown contract that runs through the 2029–2030 season with a club option for 2030–2031. He had already had a taste of the senior set-up before the ink dried, training and travelling with the first team during the Concacaf Champions Cup in February and March. His MLS debut followed on 21 March 2026, away to Chicago Fire, when he came off the bench for 28 minutes.

Internationally, Jakupović holds dual US and Bosnian nationality and has so far represented the United States. He featured for the U16s from September 2024 before stepping up to the U17 group, where he became one of the more productive players in Concacaf U-17 qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, scoring eight goals in that tournament.