While the UEFA Champions League takes its brief hiatus ahead of the knockout stages later this month, many of the United States Men's National Team's top World Cup prospects have remained active with their respective European clubs this week. This period provides crucial opportunities for players to prove their worth to head coach Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the 2026 tournament, which will be the largest World Cup in history and hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Although this hasn't been an ideal week for some players hoping to secure a spot in Pochettino's roster for the home World Cup, several American stalwarts are positioning themselves for career-defining performances this summer. However, others—including the injured Christian Pulisic—face significant challenges in their overseas endeavors. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of how some of the USA's most notable players are performing as the World Cup draws nearer.
Stock Rising: American Stars Making Strong Cases for World Cup Selection
Tanner Tessmann, Midfielder, Lyon
The former FC Dallas academy product continues to establish himself as a key player for Lyon in Ligue 1. Tessmann has played the full 90 minutes in five of his last seven league matches, including Sunday's impressive 1-1 draw against Lille. Notably, Lyon hasn't suffered a defeat in any match the Alabama-born midfielder has started since November, demonstrating his crucial importance to the team's defensive stability and overall performance.
Folarin Balogun, Forward, Monaco
The 24-year-old striker has shown promising form in January, contributing one goal and two assists in five matches for Monaco. In Thursday's Coupe de France round of 16 encounter against Strasbourg, Balogun came off the bench with his team trailing 3-1 and nearly pulled one back—his header beat goalkeeper Mike Penders but struck the crossbar, highlighting his continued goal-scoring threat despite the difficult circumstances.
Weston McKennie, Midfielder, Juventus
The Texas-born midfielder received recognition as Juventus's Player of the Month for January earlier this week, marking a significant achievement in his career. McKennie has been in exceptional form, scoring four goals in his last eight appearances for Juventus under manager Luciano Spalletti. The 27-year-old played all 90 minutes in Thursday's 3-0 Italian Cup quarterfinal defeat against Atalanta, showing his resilience and importance to the team despite the loss.
Gio Reyna, Midfielder/Forward, Borussia Mönchengladbach
Although Reyna has missed Borussia Mönchengladbach's last two matches due to muscular issues and has yet to register a goal or assist in 13 Bundesliga appearances this season, Pochettino offered the 23-year-old a lifeline last week. The Argentine coach expressed his belief in Reyna's potential, stating: "He hasn't had the consistency we would have expected, but he's a player who, without consistent playing time, came to us in November and performed at a very good level." Reyna scored in November's friendly win against Paraguay, who will be the USA's opening group stage opponents in June. Pochettino added: "This is a similar situation. We're taking him into account for the decisions we'll make in March and then for the World Cup."
Malik Tillman, Midfielder/Forward, Bayer Leverkusen
The 23-year-old has been in outstanding form, building on his two-goal Champions League performance last week by scoring again in Leverkusen's 3-1 Bundesliga victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The composed midfielder has now tallied six goals in 24 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 season, making him one of the most in-form American players heading into the World Cup qualifiers.
Stock Falling: Injuries and Form Concerns Threaten World Cup Dreams
Christian Pulisic, Midfielder/Forward, AC Milan
Once on pace for his best season yet last fall, Pulisic's momentum has been significantly halted by a minor injury in early 2026. The U.S. national team headline figure did not travel for Milan's 3-1 victory over Bologna on Tuesday due to what manager Max Allegri described as "bursitis" in his hip area. Despite remaining Milan's leading scorer, the 27-year-old has failed to contribute any goals or assists through the first five games of this year, raising concerns about his fitness ahead of the World Cup.
Johnny Cardoso, Midfielder, Atlético Madrid
The 24-year-old has struggled with injury problems throughout the first half of the season. Cardoso's streak of four consecutive starts for Atlético Madrid came to an abrupt end Thursday when a muscle injury forced him to miss the 5-0 Copa del Rey quarterfinal win over Real Betis, his former club. His inability to maintain fitness could significantly impact his chances of making Pochettino's World Cup squad.
Yunus Musah, Midfielder, Atalanta
The 23-year-old is running out of time to prove his World Cup credentials. After playing 52 minutes in the Champions League last week, Musah failed to feature in either of Atalanta's last two matches—a goalless draw away to Como last weekend and Thursday's impressive victory over rivals Juventus. The lack of playing time is concerning for a player who was once considered a certainty for the national team.
Haji Wright, Striker, Coventry City
The 27-year-old Los Angeles native has struggled recently, going scoreless in Coventry's last two games, both of which resulted in losses. After starting the season with nine goals in his first nine Championship matches, Wright has managed only two goals in his last 17 appearances for the Sky Blues. Despite his dip in form, he remains on the radar: USMNT assistant coach Miguel D'Agostino is expected to attend Saturday's match when Coventry hosts Oxford United to assess the striker firsthand.
