Fort Wayne Football Club has bolstered its roster with the addition of midfielder/defender James Musa, whose playing résumé includes over 300 professional appearances, including seven matches in Major League Soccer, 231 matches at the USL Championship level and three appearances with New Zealand’s National Team at the senior level.
Musa’s addition to the Fort Wayne FC roster Saturday is pending league and federation approval.
“It’s an exciting time for football in Fort Wayne and I’m extremely honored to be joining the club for its inaugural USL League One season,” Musa said. “From my first conversations with the club, I felt the ambition and commitment to building something special here. I’m looking forward to representing this city and giving everything I have for the club, my teammates, and the fans.
“I can’t wait for the season to start and to help bring success to Fort Wayne in this new era of professional football.”
Fort Wayne FC’s, which opened training camp this week, will begin USL League One play March 7 against FC Naples in Naples, Florida, and the first home match at Fort Wayne FC Park will be May 2 against the Charlotte Independence. Season tickets are on sale now.
Musa, 33, who was born in Plymouth, England, moved with his family to New Zealand when he was 7. He played for New Zealand’s U-20 and U-23 National Teams, totaling 20 appearances and five goals, including an appearance with the U-23 team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. That helped springboard him to a one-year deal with Premier League club Fulham, which loaned Musa to Hereford United for 15 appearances.
Between 2013 and 2024, Musa played for Team Wellington in New Zealand, South Melbourne in Australia, Saint Louis FC of USL Championship, Swope Park Rangers of USL Championship, Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, Phoenix Rising of USL Championship, Minnesota United of Major League Soccer, and the Colorado Switchbacks of USL Championship.
In 2024 and 2025, Musa played for Indianapolis-based Indy Eleven of USL Championship, which is one tier higher than USL League One in the USL pyramid. Musa had three goals and two assists in 44 matches, including Cup play, with Indy Eleven.
In his 231 USL Championship matches, Musa totaled 13 goals and six assists.
He played three matches for New Zealand’s Senior Team, a 2014 friendly and two 2017 World Cup qualification matches. New Zealand was 2-0-1 with him in the lineup.
“We are delighted to add Jame Musa to our roster,” Fort Wayne FC head coach Mike Avery said. “He is a longtime professional player who has seen the game at a variety of levels in the U.S. and abroad, has represented his country at the international level, and has demonstrated year in and year out a consistency and a professionalism that will be a massive help to us as we get this project off the ground.
“James is talented player who can play multiple positions across the back. He has an educated left foot, is a smart and athletic defender, and he’s been a durable player capable of logging heavy minutes throughout his career.”
Musa is the 11th player added to the Fort Wayne FC roster, joining Javier Armas, Ryan Becher, Tiago Dias, Jeremy Garay, Taig Healy, Anthony Hernandez, JP Jordan, Michael Rempel, Bernd Schipmann and Reid Sproat.
“As an older player on a relatively young roster, James is a great example to his teammates,” Avery said. “He is a man who knows how to take care of his body through the rigors of a long season, and he balances it all while also being a father and a husband. It’s great for our players who aspire to have long and successful professional careers themselves to have a tangible and accessible role model to see how it is possible to be a family man, juggle real life adult responsibilities, and excel as an athlete.
“Most importantly, James is a positive, character-driven man who lifts the energy in any room he enters. He’s a great teammate, a leader, and will help us all navigate this first season in USL League One. I’m excited to welcome James, his wife Fatima, and his children Farah and Khosi to Fort Wayne!”
Fort Wayne Football Club roster
Javier Armas, midfielder, 26 years old
Ryan Becher, midfielder, 24 years old
Tiago Dias, defender, 24 years old
Jeremy Garay, midfielder, 22 years old
Taig Healy, midfielder, 22 years old
Anthony Hernandez, defender, 22 years old
JP Jordan, midfielder, 22 years old
James Musa, midfielder, 33 years old
Michael Rempel, defender, 24 years old
Bernd Schipmann, goalkeeper, 31 years old
Reid Sproat, defender, 24 years old
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.