"I've introduced myself as Jedi at school, at new clubs," Antonee Robinson says. "That's just kind of stuck with me now." The nickname came at age five, when his football-coach father let him pick his own. He bypassed every soccer legend available and went straight to Star Wars. That tells you something about the man.
It's a playful detail, but Robinson's whole story resists the obvious path. He was born in Milton Keynes, grew up entirely in England's football system, came through Everton's academy, and is now one of the Premier League's more dangerous left backs at Fulham. And yet, come 2026, he'll be lining up for the United States at a home World Cup.
The American connection that changed everything
The USMNT eligibility traces back one generation. Robinson's grandmother moved from Jamaica to White Plains, New York, where she raised his father. That New York upbringing gave Robinson his American citizenship — and eventually, his international career.
"My grandma's originally from Jamaica but she raised my dad in White Plains, New York," Robinson explained. "That's where my citizenship and roots really comes from."
He could have waited to see if England came calling. They didn't, and the USMNT's gain has been significant. Under Mauricio Pochettino, Robinson is one of the first names on the team sheet — a left back with the engine and the attacking instinct to hurt teams at the highest level. For a squad still building its identity ahead of hosting the World Cup, having a reliable, experienced Premier League operator on the left side matters more than most people outside the fanbase realize.
Backflips, Rubik's Cubes, and a fearless streak
The same self-taught energy that defined his nickname runs through everything Robinson does. He learned to solve a Rubik's Cube from YouTube videos as a teenager — one-handed, eventually — before losing interest in chasing speed records. He taught himself backflips at home, which became his goal celebration until someone in authority pointed out how badly that could go wrong on a football pitch.
"I got asked not to do that again because it was pretty scary and pretty risky," he admitted.
Those traits — fearlessness, self-motivation, a slight disregard for the sensible option — are exactly what you want in an attacking full back asked to bomb forward for 90 minutes.
"It's real and I'm actually here," Robinson said of the upcoming World Cup. "I finally get to represent my country on the biggest stage."
The draw could yet place the USMNT against England. Jedi versus the country that built him. That storyline writes itself.
