2025-26 American in Europe Season
The season is about to start and it is always fun to check in on the leagues around Europe and see where the top American are playing. The USMNT has players in the top 5 leagues and a few others in other very competitive leagues. Lets take a quick peak at the top leagues and follow the American as they progress in the league and hopefully earn a spot on the USMNT roster for the World Cup.
Premier League
Starting with the top league in the World – the Premier League. As of August 2025, the USA has about 8 players. Starting with Fulham FC we have the indomitable Antonee Robinson. He players RB for Fulham and the USMNT. He is a lock starter for both teams. We then have the resolute Tyler Adams playing midfield for Bournemouth. Adams signer a 5 years contract in 2023 because of he desire to compete. Adams is the USMNT Captain. Chris Richards plays CB and starts for Crystal Palace. He is tall, tough and athletic. Crystal Palace won the FA Cup last year with the help of Richards. Brendan Aaronson is an AM for Leeds United. Leeds was just promoted from the Championship last year and will find this league a bit more difficult. Aaronson is quick and aggressive and looks to continue his good form from last year. Matai Akinboni 19 (Bournemouth), Gabrile Slonia 22 (Chelsea), and Julian Eyestone 19 (Bretford) are all very young and look for playing time in the top League in the World.
Italy Serie A
Italy Serie A is where American eyes were mostly last year. Christian Pulisic and Yunis Musah played for AC Milan, while Tim Weah and Weston McKennie Played for Juventus. Well AC Milan will not be playing international competition games. AC Milan will concentrate on the domestic League play. Pulisic has been playing extremely well for AC Milan. Pulisic scored 17 goals in all 50 appearances last year. Pulisic led AC Milan in goals. Of that he had 11 League goals in 34 League games - however Milan as a team has faltered. Musah did not have any goals last year. His strength is controlling game and dribbling and we hope to continue to see development here. We are all hoping Pulisic and Musah can contribute once again and this year have AC Milan top of the league. Weston McKennie is a player Juventus wants one day and the next he is in trade conversations. McKennie regained his starting position as the season wore on. McKennie is a professional and prowls the Midfield for Juventus. He is a fighter and good in the air in the final 3rd. He biggest is his defensive determination to stop the opposition. Weah was traded to Frances Marseille.
Bundesliga (Germany)
The Bundesliga (Germany) has lost a lot of American starters and the interest in the league has dropped significantly. Germany gets the 3rd league in the preview because of the huge signing of Malik Tillman and ongoing Gio Reyna saga. Malik Tillman signed for Bayer Leverkusen for about 32m making him the top (transfer wise) USA player in the Bundesliga. This alone should keep USMNT fans attention. Leverkusen won the Bundesliga in 2023-24 season for the first time. Leverkusen placed 2nd last year in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen will be playing in the Champions League – League phase when the final 36 clubs face off. Malik Tillman played in all the Gold Cup games and was a Pochettino favorite. Joe Scally has played RB for Monchengladbach and looks to continue to hold down that position. Paxton Aaronson was signed by Frankfort and will play an attacking position. He is fast and aggressive in his approach. Frankfort will also see Champions League play. Kevin Paredes plays wing and LM for Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg do not have international games so their domestic season they will concentrate on. Gio Reyna plays for BVB since 2020- so for 5 years. Reyna is clever with the ball, can play with 2 feet, is tactically sound. He is only age 22 and will be 23 in November so he still extremely young. BVB is also in the Champions League so hopefully Reyna can get on track and get more playing time.
Noahkia Banks, Lenny Maloney, James Sands, Cole Campbell are all trying to be consistent starters and hopefully they will. We will keep tabs on their playing time.
Ligue 1 (France)
Since the USMNT has 4 potential starters compared to the Spanish League we will preview this league first. Folarin Balogun plays CF for AS Monaco. Balogun has and up and down year last year with an injury. AS Monaco placed 3rd last year and qualified for the Champions League. Tim Weah transferred from Juventus to Marseille. Marseille is also is a top team in Ligue 1 and this year is no different. Marseille placed 2nd last year and are in the Champions League. Hopefully Weah becomes a started and flourished here. Tanner Tessmann plays CM and at 6’2” has the size to shield the ball. His biggest asset is passing forward. Tessmann plays for Lyon who qualified for the Europe League. Mark McKenzie plays for Toulouse as CB. McKenzie did play on the USMNT Gold Cup squad but had limited action. I think McKenzie is athletic enough and believe Pochettino wanted consistency at CB in the Tournament.
La Liga (Spain)
Johnny Cardoso is the only USMNT player in LA Liga. Cardoso plays for Atletico Madrid. Atletico Madrid placed 3 behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid did win the Championship in 2020-21. Atletico Madrid will also play in the Champions League. Go Johnny Go…
Eredivisie (Dutch League)
PSV Eindhoven has won the League 2 years in a row. Earnie Steward was an American soccer player who is currently the director of PSV Eindhoven. This was the time Sergio Dest, Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman were part of the 2 championship seasons. Tillman has departed which leaves the USMNT potential striker Ricardo Pepi and RB Sergio Dest the LB. Richardo Pepi scored 11 goals in only 18 games last year – which is outstanding. Pepi can score in a variety of different ways. Sergio Dest is extremely talented both offensively and defensively. Dest should lock down both the RB position for club and country. PSV should be near the top of this league again. PSV will keep out attention throughout the year. Then we have the Booth brothers Taylor Booth (Twente) and Zach Booth- Excelsior Rotterdam AM getting significant playing time.
EFL Championship:
The League that never gets its deserved respect is the EFL Championship. This is England second tier league however it is my belief that if this league was in Ireland, Poland, Russia or say Sweden it would be considered the 6th best league in the World. I think this league is above Belgium, Portugal, Brazil and the Dutch League. The top team in this league are on par with the top team outside of the top 5 leagues. The EFL Championship have a huge league with 24 clubs, which would also make the EFL the biggest European league. The EFL Championship is physical, fast and competitive from top to bottom. There are no easy game that you find in other leagues.
The USMNT has a plethora of CF in this league. Any of which could make the USMNT for the World Cup. Starting with Norwich we have Josh Sargent playing central forward. Sargent has been Norwich most consistent striker. Sargent was voted Norwich player of the season 2024-25 after scoring 15 league goals. Then we have Coventry City that has Haji Wright. Wright is a big hold up CF and is a consistent played for Coventry scoring 12 goals in 27 games last year. Wright was right behind Sargent in scoring. Coventry made the playoff last year. CF Damion Downs now joins the EFL Southampton side, from FC Koln. Koln was in Germanys 2nd division that got promotion thanks in part to Downs. Down scored 12 goals in 39 appearances. Down is 6’4” and a good lanky player for striker. Southampton was regulated from the Premier League last year and will be spitting mad to get back. Patrick Agyemang moved from MLS Charlotte to Derby County. Derby held off regulation near the bottom of the league last year. They need more offense and Agyemang may help. Agyemang was Pochettino’s choice to start the Gold Cup games for the USMNT. Then where is the powerful Daryl Dike at West Brom. Poor Dike has 3 season ending injuries the last 3 years. – during his first start in 2022 he got a hamstring injury that knocked him out for season. Then is 2023 he got an Achill injury – out 9 months and rest of season. If that wasn’t bad enough, he got another season ending injury in Feb 2024 on left leg. I am just hoping Daryl doesn’t get another injury. Let not forget about CM Aiden Morris at Middlesbrough or CB George Campbell alongside Darrell at West Brom. Charlie Kelman playing at Queen Park rangers.
This EFL Championship League with the plethora of CF, Christian Pulisic – Yunis Musah combo at (AC Milan), PSV Eindhoven combo of Ricardo Pepi and Sergio Dest, Mallik Tillman (Bayern Leverkusen) and Tim Weah (Marseille) will be the most interesting to me at the start of the season.