USMNT Players You Need to Follow in the 2026/27 European Season | OneFootball

European club football is back, and while there are plenty of reasons to follow all the Yanks abroad, we have a list of players that should be on your bucket list to watch weekly this season.

Across the vaunted landscape of European football, there is no shortage of American players — more than at any other point in the sport’s history. It’s no longer a novelty to find Americans, some of whom aren’t even on the national team radar, playing in the top European leagues, from the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A all the way to Denmark. Americans are more present across the European football landscape than ever before.

While many United States men’s national team fans have their preferences when it comes to which American players to watch religiously week in and week out, we have compiled a list of a handful that you absolutely have to follow this season, and for good reason.

Christian Pulisic and Another AC Milan Rebuild

Christian Pulisic’s redemption song toward the 2030 World Cup starts now with yet another new manager, his fifth in four seasons with AC Milan. Ruben Amorim’s arrival to the club initially looked promising for Pulisic, with the manager praising his skillset. However, three matches into the season and he’s still yet to make his debut under Amorim, who has indicated he’s “managing” the winger as he makes his return from the hairline fracture he suffered at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

When he eventually does touch the field for the first time this season, Pulisic could be playing more on his natural left side now that Rafael Leão is gone.

When Pulisic is on fire, he is unplayable, but he hasn’t been able to maintain a consistent level of form for an entire season. With AC Milan having a more balanced look at the start of the ’26-27 campaign, Pulisic will be the major sparkplug the attack needs to challenge for the Serie A title or make a deep Europa League run.

Fans of the Rossoneri are expecting to challenge for the title all season, and after a poor second half of last season, Pulisic will have something to prove both in Milan and back home after the 2026 World Cup.

As a side note, fans will also get to watch Yunus Musah, who contrary to Pulisic has played in every minute of Milan’s first three matches this year. After falling out of the USMNT picture, Musah will look to make his way back into the mix with a bounce back season.

Tanner Tessmann’s Lyon Journey

Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images

Utility midfielder Tanner Tessmann will have a lot on his plate at Lyon this season, from Europa League action to trying to challenge PSG for the Ligue 1 title. Tessmann has already played in multiple roles in the midfield for Lyon and has historically earned his stripes in the pivot position.

Tessmann was left off the 2026 World Cup roster despite a very strong showing for Lyon last season. With a bigger chance to shine and compete in a tournament like the Europa League, Tessmann, who will want to insert himself into a competitive midfield landscape for the USMNT, has a lot of the tools Mauricio Pochettino needs.

Defensively, he can also slot back into central defense, which could make for an interesting pairing with Chris Richards.

If there is one player in the U.S. pool who needs a breakout season, it’s Tessmann. He doesn’t want to go into the Sacha Kljestan bag of being good, but never quite enough to cement a place with the USMNT.

Malik Tillman: A Bayer Leverkusen Breakthrough?

After what was an MVP-caliber performance at the World Cup for the United States, Malik Tillman, who had a disappointing season last year in Germany, will look to bounce back and show the potential that had fans and pundits raving at the start of last season.

Tillman is not a flashy, dribble-past-five-defenders type of player. Rather, at the World Cup, he was a worker’s worker with great technique. Think Roberto Donadoni’s role back in AC Milan’s heyday.

Tillman has had his issues with the brass at Bayer Leverkusen, and a strong season can not only raise his stock but also earn him a move away from a team that at times has been hesitant to let him shine.

The Zavier Gozo and Chris Richards Connection at Crystal Palace

Let’s face it: if you have to watch Crystal Palace this season, it’s all about Zavier Gozo.

The teenage sensation has already made his debut for his new club and scored in a reserve match. While Crystal Palace will be bringing the American along slowly, the talent is certainly there for all to see.

Watching Gozo’s journey will be a welcome change for American fans who finally have a strong up-and-comer to watch beyond the core group of Americans abroad that has been around since 2018.

Along with Gozo, there is Chris Richards, who will be expected to not only become a bigger presence for the USMNT but also a true leader at the back as Tim Ream finally fades out of the picture.

Richards is prone to great plays but isn’t immune to the occasional blunder, and while this generation of USMNT fans has placed Richards on a high pedestal, the former Bayern Munich product still has a long way to go to cement his place among the great USMNT defenders.

The good news for Richards is that he still has time to build his legacy, and he can do it on a team that has shown some worrying signs to start the season.

The Boro Boys

There really isn’t any reason to watch Middlesbrough, but the club has an ace in the hole for U.S. fans: there are four potential USMNT roster players in the squad, all with their own growing pains and expectations.

Four different, but interesting, stories:

Max Arfsten: A Pochettino project that landed a European contract and now looks to add to his traits as the USMNT enters a new cycle in a tough league like the Championship.

Aidan Morris: Once one of the new-blood faces that Pochettino introduced to the USMNT upon his arrival, Morris faded as the team got closer to the World Cup. In a weird way, he’s now playing next to one of his competitors for a spot on the national team, Sebastian Berhalter. Making sure the two connect well together and play off each other can only help both when it comes to the national team.

Sebastian Berhalter: Ditto Morris, with the exception that Berhalter is playing with house money. After a strong World Cup and no longer carrying the “MLS player” tag, Berhalter has a bigger stage to show that he’s more than an emergency substitute for Pochettino.

Rokas Pukštas: Recently signed and once considered an American wonderkid, Pukštas played very well for Hajduk Split but never really sniffed the national team. Once considered a potential target for clubs like Manchester United, a strong season from Pukštas could throw a major monkey wrench into the established USMNT players as well as the up-and-comers who have been getting more fanfare.

Can a Clown Really Mature?

Weston McKennie is the second-best American playing the game today, behind only Pulisic. But can the box-to-box midfielder shake the image of being a class clown and at times having a party lifestyle?

That is the question for McKennie and Juventus, as the Italian Old Lady looks to end its title drought and reposition itself as one of the best teams in Serie A and Europe again.

McKennie will surely get minutes and play a major role, but after more than 200 games and at times getting his ears pulled by legends like Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon for his comedic nature, and being called “Texas Boy” by Cristiano Ronaldo for his Americanisms, is there a more mature McKennie who can lead by example through his play on the field rather than by being the comedic spark in a locker room with a lot of demands?

That will be the question as McKennie enters the true prime of his career.

The talent is there, no question. But now it’s time to lead.

Folarin Balogun the Goalscorer

For a minute there, Folarin Balogun looked like he was going to make a long-awaited move to the Premier League with Everton. He even got the “Here We Go” treatment from Fabrizio Romano, only for the deal to fall through at the last minute.

So while it’s unclear if he’ll finish the season with Monaco, Balogun is nonetheless in the sovereign state for the time being. His 2026-27 season will be followed with a bit more rigor, especially because of his talent and what happened on and off the field at the World Cup.

Goals will be his calling card, but more than that, have the USMNT finally found a striker who can produce two or three 20-plus-goal seasons and become the face of the front line?

For Folarin Balogun, it’s truly go time.