Just because the UEFA Champions League is on hiatus until knockout play begins later this month doesn’t mean that many of the USA’s World Cup hopefuls around Europe have been idle with their clubs overseas this week.
Although it wasn’t a good week for some hoping to make coach Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for the 2026 tournament (more on that below), several USA stalwarts are angling for a career-defining turn this summer at the biggest World Cup ever.
World Cup Watch: Is This The USA’s Best Lineup?
Others — including banged-up star forward Christian Pulisic — aren’t faring quite as well across the Atlantic. Here’s how things stand for some of the USA’s notable players:
Tanner Tessman has been a reliable starter at Lyon. (Photo by Sébastien BOZON / AFP via Getty Images)
Tessmann has gone all 90 minutes in five of the last seven Ligue 1 games he’s been available for, including Sunday’s 1-1 triumph over Lille. Lyon has not lost a match the Alabama-born FC Dallas academy product has started since November.
In five matches for Monaco in January, the 24-year-old striker managed a goal and two assists. He came off the bench with his club trailing 3-1 in Thursday’s Coupe de France round of 16 match away to Strasbourg and nearly pulled one back; his header beat home keeper Mike Penders but not his crossbar.
Named Juve’s Player of the Month of January earlier this week, McKennie had four goals in his last eight games for Luciano Spalletti’s side heading into Thursday’s 3-0 Italian Cup quarterfinal defeat away to Atalanta. The 27-year-old Texan played all 90 minutes.
Is Gio Reyna still in the picture for the World Cup? (Photo by Jürgen Fromme – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
On pace for his best season yet last fall, Pulisic has been slowed considerably by a minor injury so far in 2026. The U.S. headliner didn’t travel for Milan’s 3-1 win over Bologna on Tuesday because of what Rossoneri manager Max Allegri called “bursitis,” apparently in his hip area. The 27-year-old remains Milan’s leading scorer despite no goal contributions through the first five games of this year.
Beset by injury problems during the first half of the season, Cardodo’s run of four straight starts for Atleti ended Thursday when a muscle injury forced the 24-year-old to miss the 5-0 Copa del Rey quarterfinal win over Real Betis, his former club.
Time is running out for Yunus Musah. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
