The Americans Abroad Report: Full European Roundup
October 8, 2026
Follow Jim Whelan and Jerry Cala at https://seasonticketholderny.substack.com/
As the US Men’s National team have retained their Coach Mauricio Pochettino and the 2026 World Cup in the history ledger, the team turns to the next tournament as the 2026–27 CONCACAF Nations League Quarterfinals: November 2026 (home-and-away legs scheduled for November 14 and November 17, 2026). Some interesting roster moves by Coach Pochettino for this fall. Here is a recap of the lads playing abroad and their progress and new faces that US fans will quickly learn.
Premier League (Recap)
Seven USMNT-eligible players are on Premier League rosters, but only four are seeing regular minutes. Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) and Antonee Robinson (Fulham) are ever-present starters — Richards has played every single minute of Palace’s league season so far. Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) and Brenden Aaronson (Leeds) are both featuring in every match, splitting time between starts and sub appearances.
On the fringes: Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace) made his Premier League debut off the bench against Manchester City, and Gaga Slonina (Chelsea, #44) is still waiting for his first appearance of the season. Haji Wright, former New York Cosmos veteran, remains sidelined for Coventry City with a serious quad injury that manager Frank Lampard estimated could keep him out for as much as 12 weeks. Lampard’s Coventry squad had their first goal of the season and their first win in the English Premiere League after being promoted.
Serie A — Milan and Juve Both Loaded with Americans
This might be the most American corner of European soccer right now. Christian Pulisic made his first start of the season and scored his first goal in a 3-0 win over Lecce — a real sign of life after opening the campaign with substitute-only appearances. He’s now joined at AC Milan by Yunus Musah, who returned to the club after a loan spell with Atalanta.
Weston McKennie remains at Juventus, still a fixture in that midfield. He and Pulisic have a history of matching up against each other whenever Milan plays Juve, so those fixtures are always worth circling. Also worth tracking in Italy: Gianluca Busio (Venezia) and Benjamin Cremaschi (Parma).
Ligue 1 — New Faces, and a Deep Dive on Tim Weah
This is where the summer really shook things up, and it’s the section with the most to unpack.
Tim Weah is officially a Marseille player now — not on loan, but permanently. After spending last season on loan at Marseille from Juventus, the move became permanent on July 1 for a reported €14.4 million transfer fee. That loan spell was productive: 28 Ligue 1 appearances, 2 goals, and 2 assists in 2025/26, good enough to convince Marseille to make it official.
The early returns this season have been quieter on the scoresheet — 4 Ligue 1 appearances, 360 minutes, and no goals or assists yet — but there’s a more interesting story in how he’s being used. Weah has been deployed at right back for Marseille rather than his more natural winger/attacking role, a real tactical shift worth watching. Whether that positional change is temporary or the new normal for him at Marseille could shape how he profiles for the national team as well.
Elsewhere in France: Folarin Balogun is entrenched at Monaco after a strong prior season (19 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions). Giovanni Reyna has a fresh start of his own, signing a five-year deal with Strasbourg after his stint at Borussia Mönchengladbach didn’t produce the consistent playing time he needed — and in a nice bit of scheduling symmetry, Strasbourg opened their season against Weah’s Marseille. Rounding out the French contingent: Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Bryan Reynolds (Rennes), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), and Luca Koleosho (Paris FC).
Bundesliga
Malik Tillman continues to be one of the more productive Americans in Germany, playing for Bayer Leverkusen. It’s a thinner American presence in the Bundesliga than in years past — worth watching whether that changes when the January window opens.
New Faces: The Uncapped Call-Ups Worth Knowing
Three names just entered the conversation with Pochettino’s 28-man roster for the Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada friendlies, and all three are worth getting familiar with now.
Cole Campbell is the standout story of the early Bundesliga season among Americans. The 20-year-old winger left Borussia Dortmund this summer for newly promoted SV Elversberg on a €6 million deal, and he wasted no time making an impact — scoring in an opening-day 3-2 upset win over Bayer Leverkusen that made him the first American to score in a top-five European league this season. He picked up his first senior USMNT call-up on the back of that form.
Mathis Albert is only 17 and still at Borussia Dortmund, uncapped but included in the same roster as Campbell. He was part of the 2025 U-17 World Cup group, and this call-up is his first taste of senior national team camp — one to watch as a longer-term prospect rather than an immediate contributor.
Damion Downs is a slightly different story: not a newcomer to the setup, but a fresh face in a new shirt. The 22-year-old striker — a dual German-American national who helped FC Köln win promotion to the Bundesliga before a move to Southampton — is currently on loan at MLS side St. Louis City SC. He was added to the roster after Ricardo Pepi was withdrawn with an injury, and in a nice bit of scheduling, Downs will play the USA-Chile match at Energizer Park, his home stadium with St. Louis City.
La Liga
Johnny Cardoso is at Atlético Madrid, looking to bounce back after a tougher stretch with the national team. Alex Freeman is at Villarreal.
Eredivisie — The PSV Pipeline
Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi are still teammates at PSV Eindhoven, a pairing that’s produced real chemistry for both club and country. Pepi in particular has been one of the most reliably productive Americans in Europe over the past couple of seasons — though he was withdrawn from the upcoming national team window with an injury sustained in PSV’s 3-2 loss to FC Twente, opening the door for Damion Downs’ call-up.
Scottish Premiership
Auston Trusty is at Celtic, part of a club that’s typically fighting at the top of the table.
Upcoming USMNT Matches to Watch
USA vs. Haiti — CONCACAF Nations League Quarterfinal — Sat, Nov 14, 2026, TBD and Tue, Nov 17, 2026, 7:00 PM ET — TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH — TBS, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock
That’s six USMNT matches in under two months, including a Nations League knockout game — plenty of chances to see how Pulisic, McKennie, Weah, and the rest of the Americans Abroad crew look together on the same field, right as club form is starting to take shape. As the sport of soccer grows in the US and abroad, it will be interesting to watch how the US fans react to these upcoming matches and how Pochettino handles the roster and the blend of veterans and the new faces.
Jimmy Whelan and Jerry Cala cover the New York Cosmos in USL League One and soccer in the New Jersey area.
Comments