Giuseppe Rossi’s story is, on the surface, about soccer. But more than anything, it’s a story about home.
Home is a complicated thing. Sometimes it’s where you’re born. Sometimes it’s something you find. Sometimes it’s something you earn. And sometimes, it’s more than one place pulling at you at once. They all matter. Some matter more at different points in life, and those points shift. But home is home - and that doesn’t change.
For years, Rossi's soccer allegiances embodied that push and pull. Born in New Jersey, he famously chose to represent Italy, his family’s homeland, at the international level. Over time, Italy became his homeland, too. His proudest moments came in an Azzurri shirt - one that, he admits, still feels heavier than he can explain.
Italy was the home he chose - or, as he puts it, the one he was born into. In truth, it never felt like a choice. His commitment to Italy was rooted in pasta nights, Serie A weekends, and childhood fairytales of Roberto Baggio. Those memories shaped him, and they still do. He's the American-born son of Italian immigrants who, like so many, felt the tension of dual identities - and the pride in both.
"For me, home is family," Rossi told GOAL. "I was lucky enough to travel the world and live in beautiful places in Spain and Italy. Being Italian, moving to Italy when I was 12 allowed me to learn about the culture more when I was a kid. I also understand my childhood was a certain way growing up with the way we were brought up in America, with those Italian traditions, which were just like being back in Italy. For me, though, home is where family is, and this is where we've established ourselves."
On Tuesday, North Jersey Pro Soccer - set to begin play in USL League One in 2026 - announced that Rossi - the 30-cap Italian international who starred for Manchester United, Villarreal, and Fiorentina - has joined as the club's vice chairman and head of soccer. He’s not just an investor, he’s a hands-on architect. Now 25 years after leaving North Jersey to chase a dream in Europe, Rossi is home again - with purpose.
With his playing days behind him, his next chapter is once again defined by one of life’s most powerful forces: love for where you came from.
"I don't have to do this. I'm lucky enough that I could be stuffing my face with pasta every single day somewhere. I chose this because it's dear to my heart," Rossi said. "I want to see the game grow in the right way. I want to grow the game in my little garden, my home, which is in this North Jersey area. At the end of the day, if your heart is in the right place, then the rest will follow, right?"
At his core, Rossi has always followed his heart. It took him across Europe, to the highest levels of the game. It pulled him through dark moments - the kind that would leave many questioning everything. But not Rossi. His journey was never in doubt. Neither is what comes next.
All these years later, he's back in North Jersey. And now, with perspective and experience, he has a vision for what should come next - for both himself and the game in his home community.
In an exclusive conversation with GOAL, Rossi reflected on his career, the what-ifs, and his decision to return to the sport through USL - and through home.