The improvement of the U.S. men’s national team is evident through players actively participating in the UEFA Champions League and making significant impacts in this prestigious tournament.
On the final day of the 2025-26 league stage, Malik Tillman of Bayer Leverkusen scored two goals, while five other American players also started in a thrilling conclusion as 18 matches unfolded simultaneously across Europe.
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Despite some uncertainty about advancing, five clubs with potential U.S. World Cup players made it to the last 24 teams, though two were knocked out.
None reached the top eight, but players were granted a spot in the round of 16. Tillman, along with Weston McKennie (Juventus), Jonny Cardoso (Atletico Madrid), Yunus Moussa (Atalanta), and Folarin Balogun (Monaco), will compete in the two-leg playoff scheduled for February 17-18 and 24-25.
Preparations are underway for Friday’s drawing of matchups.
Serginho Dest (PSV Eindhoven) and Tim Weah (Olympique de Marseille) faced elimination, with Weah’s club narrowly missing out on advancing due to goal difference, as Benfica’s Anatoly Trubin secured a last-minute header for a 4-2 victory over Real Madrid.
If the score had been 3-2, Marseille would have progressed; however, their earlier 3-0 defeat to Club Brugge was a setback. Weah played the full match, marking his sixth Champions League start.
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Tillman was the standout performer, making his fifth Champions League start during this campaign and significantly contributing to Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-0 win over Villarreal. He first pressured the opponent’s goalkeeper in the 12th minute, leading to an own goal, and then scored with a powerful half-volley from the edge of the penalty area after 23 minutes.
This marked Tillman’s first Champions League goal since November 2024, when he netted two goals against Shakhtar Donetsk and another against Girona while with PSV Eindhoven.
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Since Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment in October 2024, Tillman’s role within the national team has fluctuated. His stock rose last summer after impressively contributing three goals and two assists while starting six games for the runner-up United States in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
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In the only matchup involving Americans that day, McKennie and Balogun played in a 0-0 draw which did not favor either team.
Both players have shown strong performances in the Champions League lately, although McKennie’s consecutive scoring streak ended on Wednesday, and Balogun’s run of goals halted after two games.
Dest completed the full 90 minutes for PSV, but they lost 2-1 to second-place Bayern Munich, leaving them in 28th position and out of contention.
Moussa, making his first Champions League start in over four months, was substituted shortly after halftime during a 1-0 defeat against Union Saint Giroise in Belgium.
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Cardoso was the only American not to start; he made his third Champions League appearance coming on in the 64th minute of a 2-1 home loss for Norway against Bodø/Glimt.
In the Europa League this Thursday, U.S. midfielder Tanner Tessman and first-place Olympique Lyonnais will seek to secure top seed for the knockout stage against PAOK from Greece.
Centre-back Auston Trusty and Celtic currently sit in 24th, preparing for a crucial final home game against the Dutch side Utrecht.
Fan Take: The progress of American players in top European competitions highlights the growing influence of soccer in the U.S., capturing the attention of fans and fostering hope for future success on the world stage. As more U.S. players excel abroad, it not only enhances their careers but also elevates the sport’s profile back home, potentially inspiring a new generation of soccer enthusiasts.
