Defender | #41
James Musa | #41
Position: D
Height: 6’0
Weight: 175
DOB: 4/1/92
Hometown: Plymouth, England
Acquired: 6/28/24
Previous club: Colorado Spring Switchbacks FC (USLC)
Enters the 2025 season second among current Indy Eleven players (behind Aodhan Quinn) in minutes played (16,646), games started (190), and appearances (202) in USL Championship play.
Started seven of eight matches for the Boys in Blue in 2024, playing the full 90 in five of them, including the playoff game. Scored one of the biggest goals of the season in a crucial 1-0 road victory at Loudoun United in October. In his 200th USL Championship appearance, Musa entered in the 72nd minute and scored in the 83rd. Ben Ofeimu headed the ball down from the corner of the six to Musa, who, with his back to the goal, volleyed it high over keeper with his left foot for the game winner.
Musa recorded a season-high 12 clearances vs. Louisville City. He had Indy bests of three tackles at Las Vegas, and two interceptions at Detroit.
Second among returnees with 90.1% passing accuracy in own half. Fourth in clearances (46) for returning Boys in Blue.
Indy Eleven acquired Musa via transfer from Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on June 28, 2024.
Musa is no stranger to the USL, having played with five different clubs dating back to 2015. He also brings MLS experience, spending parts of the 2017 season with Sporting KC and the 2020 season with Head Coach Sean McAuley at Minnesota United, helping the latter to an appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
Musa played in 17 matches, making 16 starts, at Colorado Springs in 2023, totaling over 1,300 minutes of action. He came to Indy after starting three matches in 2024.
The 2015 and 2016 seasons saw Musa start all 51 matches played with St. Louis FC, scoring five goals and registering three assists in nearly 4,500 minutes.
Musa spent one season at Swope Park (later Sporting Kansas City II) in 2017, starting 24 matches, before becoming a mainstay on Phoenix Rising’s backline over two stints from 2018-22 (2020 at Minnesota). Musa played in 105 matches for the club, logging more than 8,400 minutes, and helped Phoenix to a USL Championship Western Conference title and appearance in the final in 2018, the 2019 regular-season championship (which included a league and North American-best 20-match win streak), and a division title in 2021.
Prior to his time in the States, Musa served a short stint with Fulham before being loaned to English-side Hereford United. Prior to that, he was with Wellington in Australia’s A League. The New Zealand native also played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup and made the 18-man squad for the 2012 London Olympics.
