1. Overview
Justin Meram (جستن حكمت عزيز ميرامJustin Hikmat Aziz MeramArabic; born December 4, 1988) is a retired professional footballer known for his role as a winger. A distinctive aspect of his career is his representation of the Iraq national football team, a decision deeply rooted in his heritage as an Assyrian Chaldean Catholic whose parents immigrated from the Mosul region of Iraq. Meram's journey from a promising college soccer player in the U.S. to a prominent figure in Major League Soccer (MLS) and an international player for Iraq highlights his dual identity and commitment. His career includes significant spells with Columbus Crew, Real Salt Lake, and contributions to various major tournaments with the Iraqi national team, including the AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He is notably the first Major League Soccer player to be called up by the Iraq national team, a testament to his unique background and dedication to his ancestral homeland.
2. Early Life and Background
Justin Meram was born on December 4, 1988, in the Detroit area of Michigan, United States. He is the youngest of four sons born to Hikmat "Sam" Aziz Meram and Lamia Mansour Hormis. Both of Meram's parents are ethnic Assyrians, specifically from the Tel Keppe District near Mosul, Iraq. Their religious background is Chaldean Catholic, an ancient Assyrian Christian community. His father immigrated to the United States in 1967, followed by his mother in 1975, where they met in Michigan.
Meram's unique heritage as an American-born Assyrian Christian with Iraqi roots profoundly influenced his later decision to represent Iraq internationally. His Iraqi passport lists his name as Justin Hikmat Aziz, adhering to the local Iraqi naming conventions which typically include the first name, father's name, and grandfather's name.
3. College and Amateur Career
Meram began his football journey at Eisenhower High School in Michigan, where he also played for the local club Vardar. After high school, he continued his college soccer career at Yavapai College in Arizona, playing for two years. During his time at Yavapai, Meram distinguished himself as a standout player, leading his team to consecutive NJCAA National Championships. In recognition of his exceptional performance, he was named the 2008 National Junior College Player of the Year, received NSCAA and NJCAA All-American honors, and was awarded the ACCAC Conference Player of the Year. He also earned MVP titles at both the national and regional tournaments during the 2007 season, setting a school record for points and ranking second all-time in goals and assists.
In 2009, Meram transferred to the University of Michigan as a junior. While playing for the Wolverines, he was selected for the All-Big Ten second team in both his junior and senior years. In his senior year in 2010, he was also named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region second team. He concluded his college career with an impressive record of 24 goals and 14 assists across 41 games for the University of Michigan.
During his college years in Arizona, Meram also gained experience playing for the Arizona Sahuaros. He competed with the team both in the National Premier Soccer League and in local amateur competitions organized by the USASA.
4. Club Career
Justin Meram's professional club career spanned over a decade, primarily in Major League Soccer, where he became known for his consistent performance as a winger.
4.1. Columbus Crew (2011-2017)
On January 14, 2011, Justin Meram was drafted by Columbus Crew in the first round as the 15th overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. He made his professional debut on February 22, 2011, as a second-half substitute in the first leg of the Crew's CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final series against Real Salt Lake. His MLS debut followed on May 28, when he came on as a late substitute in a 3-3 draw against Chivas USA.
Throughout his rookie season, Meram made 12 substitute appearances and started four matches, recording his first professional assist on June 4 and another on June 18, 2011. He also started seven matches in the MLS Reserve League, scoring four goals and providing one assist, and recorded an assist in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against Richmond Kickers.
In his second season, Meram appeared in 22 matches, making 11 starts, and scored four goals with one assist in 960 minutes. He notably scored in three consecutive games in May against FC Dallas, San Jose Earthquakes, and Seattle Sounders FC, and netted a game-winner in the 89th minute on September 19.
By his third season with Columbus, Meram made 19 appearances, including eight starts at left midfield, one start and three substitute appearances at right midfield, and two substitute appearances at forward, tallying one goal and one assist. He scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute in a 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round win against Dayton Dutch Lions.
The 2014 season marked a breakout year for Meram, as he made 32 appearances, including 19 starts, setting career highs with eight goals and four assists. Highlights included scoring a game-winning goal in stoppage time against Seattle, assisting on Ethan Finlay's match-winning goal against New England Revolution, and recording his first career brace against Chivas USA. He also made his MLS Cup Playoffs debut, scoring his first playoff goal against New England and recording an assist in the second leg. Following this season, he received his first international call-up for Iraq.
In 2015, Meram made 31 appearances (28 starts) at left midfield, scoring six goals and providing five assists. He scored the game-winning goal in the home opener against Toronto FC and recorded his 100th appearance in MLS and for Crew with a start against Orlando City SC on May 30. He scored his first international goal for Iraq against Chinese Taipei on September 3 and his second against Thailand on September 8 during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, Meram started all five games for Crew, scoring the fastest goal in MLS postseason history, just nine seconds into the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship against the New York Red Bulls on November 22.
4.2. Orlando City SC
On January 29, 2018, Orlando City SC acquired Justin Meram from Columbus Crew in exchange for 1.05 M USD in allocation money, comprising 750.00 K USD in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and 300.00 K USD in General Allocation Money (GAM), along with a 2019 international roster spot. He made his debut in the season opener against D.C. United on March 4 and scored his first goal for Orlando against Atlanta on May 14. After a challenging period with Orlando, Meram was traded back to Columbus on August 3.
4.3. Return to Columbus Crew SC
On August 3, 2018, Justin Meram returned to Columbus Crew SC from Orlando City SC in exchange for 750.00 K USD in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and a 2019 international roster spot, which was the same slot previously traded to Orlando. He continued to play for Columbus through the 2019 season's initial matches.
4.4. Atlanta United FC
On May 7, 2019, Meram joined the defending MLS champions Atlanta United FC in a trade involving 100.00 K USD in General Allocation Money (GAM) and a second-round draft pick. Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra publicly recognized Meram as a "proven commodity in MLS." On June 29, 2019, Meram delivered a pivotal performance, scoring a brace to secure a 2-1 victory for Atlanta United over the Montreal Impact. His contract option was not renewed at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
4.5. Real Salt Lake
On February 11, 2020, Justin Meram signed with Real Salt Lake. His tenure with the club was marked by consistent play. In January 2022, Real Salt Lake announced that they had extended Meram's contract through the 2023 MLS season, underscoring his importance to the team.
4.6. Charlotte FC
On April 27, 2023, Charlotte FC announced the acquisition of Justin Meram from Real Salt Lake in exchange for 200.00 K USD in General Allocation Money (GAM). Shortly after joining the team, on May 13, 2023, Meram scored his first goals for Charlotte, netting a brace in their 3-1 victory against his former club, Atlanta United.
4.7. Michigan Stars FC
In April 2024, Justin Meram joined the Michigan Stars. He made his debut with the club, starting in their 2-0 win over Minnesota United FC 2 in the second round of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, contributing to the team's victory.
5. International Career
Justin Meram's international career is defined by his commitment to representing the Iraq national football team, a journey fueled by his deep family roots in Iraq despite being born and raised in the United States.
5.1. Eligibility and Debut
Meram embarked on a two-year process to obtain dual citizenship in 2013, making him eligible to play for Iraq. His parents' origins in the Mosul region and their Chaldean Catholic background provided the familial link necessary for his Iraqi nationality. Meram often expressed his strong desire to represent Iraq, stating, "My goal was (to represent) Iraq from day one" and that it was "always my No1 choice." He described it as a dream. His Iraqi passport officially lists his name as Justin Hikmat Aziz.
On September 16, 2013, then-Iraq coach Hakeem Shaker extended a call-up to Meram for a training session in preparation for a 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Saudi Arabia. While he was called up for a friendly against Yemen in October 2014, his club commitments with Columbus Crew during the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs prevented his attendance.
Meram was officially included in Iraq's final roster for the 22nd Arabian Gulf Cup on November 10, 2014. This selection was historic, as he became the first player in Major League Soccer history to be called up by the Iraq national team. He made his international debut, starting in midfield, in Iraq's opening match of the tournament against Kuwait on November 14, 2014. Meram played the full 90 minutes in the 0-1 loss, creating several goal-scoring opportunities, including a shot cleared off the line just before halftime.
5.2. Major Tournaments and Goals
Following his debut, Meram earned his second call-up for a training camp and friendlies leading up to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In December 2014, he was named to Iraq's squad for the tournament held in Australia in January 2015. He made his competitive debut as a second-half substitute in Iraq's first match, a 1-0 victory over Jordan on January 12, 2015, and also appeared in a 1-0 loss to Japan. Meram started Iraq's final group stage match against Palestine on January 20, contributing to a 2-0 win that secured qualification for the quarterfinals. He also started the quarterfinal match against Iran, playing 45 minutes in a thrilling 3-3 draw which Iraq ultimately won 7-6 on penalties. This match marked his 10th cap for Iraq.
Meram scored his first goal for Iraq on September 3, 2015, converting a 91st-minute penalty as his side defeated Chinese Taipei 5-1 in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match. His second international goal came on September 8, 2015, against Thailand in the same qualification campaign. He earned an additional call-up and started for Iraq in another 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Vietnam on October 8. He scored his third goal against Thailand on August 31, 2017, and his fourth against Syria on March 20, 2019, in the 2019 International Friendship Championship, where his goal was the decisive opener in a 1-0 victory, earning him the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.
5.3. Retirement and Return
On October 18, 2021, Justin Meram announced his retirement from international soccer. However, his retirement was brief, as he was recalled to the Iraq national team on March 19, 2022, for matches against Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
6. Career Statistics
6.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Columbus Crew | 2011 | MLS | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2012 | 22 | 4 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 23 | 4 | ||||
| 2013 | 19 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 21 | 2 | ||||
| 2014 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 36 | 9 | |||
| 2015 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 38 | 7 | |||
| 2016 | 33 | 5 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 35 | 6 | ||||
| 2017 | 34 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 40 | 14 | |||
| Total | 188 | 37 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 213 | 42 | ||
| Orlando City SC | 2018 | MLS | 17 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 18 | 2 | ||
| Columbus Crew | 2018 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 12 | 1 | ||
| 2019 | 9 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| Atlanta United FC | 2019 | MLS | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 4 |
| Real Salt Lake | 2020 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 3 | |||
| 2021 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 31 | 2 | ||||
| 2022 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 328 | 51 | 17 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 365 | 57 | ||
6.2. International
| Iraq | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | 12 | 2 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 36 | 4 |
Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | September 3, 2015 | PAS Stadium, Tehran, Iran | Chinese Taipei | 5-1 | 5-1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | September 8, 2015 | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | Thailand | 1-0 | 2-2 | |
| 3. | August 31, 2017 | 1-0 | 2-1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
| 4. | March 20, 2019 | Basra Sports City, Basra, Iraq | Syria | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2019 International Friendship Championship |
7. Honors
Atlanta United
- Campeones Cup: 2019
- U.S. Open Cup: 2019