Australian rules: Patrick Yazbek keeps Nashville SC atop the East | OneFootball

By Ben Wright

With this summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup looming, Patrick Yazbek's breakout season with Nashville SC shows no signs of slowing down.

In fact, the 24-year-old Australian international put in one of his best performances in a Nashville shirt during Saturday's 2-1 win at Charlotte FC. 

Yazbek set up Eddi Tagseth's long-range stunner that opened the score in the 14th minute, before netting the 62nd-minute game-winner to keep the Coyotes atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 5W-1L-1D record (16 points). ​

Yazbek did it largely without the help of Designated Players Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge and Cristian Espinoza. All three saw limited minutes off the bench, with head coach B.J. Callaghan opting to rest them ahead of Tuesday's decisive Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal Leg 2 at LIGA MX's Club América. 

"I think it just proves how hard work makes you better," Tagseth said of Yazbek, his midfield partner. "He's every day one of the hardest workers.

"He does everything 100%, and he's showing in games this year that he can score, he can assist, he can defend, he can attack. He can do everything."

World Cup push

Yazbek's standout performances for Nashville come as he looks to crack Australia's final 26-man roster for the World Cup. 

The U22 Initiative midfielder has been capped nine times by the Socceroos, who were drawn into Group D, along with the United States, Paraguay and Türkiye.

As far as Tagseth is concerned, Yazbek has done more than enough to make his case.

"He's probably the biggest potato I've seen," Tagseth laughed. "As we say in Norway, a guy can do everything – we can use a potato for everything.

"So he's for sure stepped it up this year, and I'm very happy for him."

WATCH: World Cup hopeful Patrick Yazbek lifts Nashville over Charlotte