USMNT Stars, Key Players Headlining This Europa League Season

Take a look at any team of note in the UEFA Europa League this season; chances are there's a U.S. men's national team player on the roster, one who might end up playing a key role in a title-winning run in eight months' time.

This season's edition of the Europa League feels intertwined with the story of American men's soccer, to the point that the oddsmakers' top five picks to win the competition all feature at least one U.S. international. The core of the U.S. team that competed at this summer's World Cup will spend their Thursdays (and the occasional Wednesday) in European competition and sometimes against each other, the Europa League serving as a fascinating barometer for the state of the USMNT following a World Cup on home soil – and as the long road to the 2030 tournament begins.

Europe's club competitions have rarely ever offered such an unfiltered showcase for American players at the peak of their careers, a signal that they have actually earned the right to take up meaningful space at a batch of high-profile teams across the continent. The USMNT faithful may still be dreaming of a future where that dominance is spread across the UEFA Champions League, even if Americans now regularly take up roster space in that competition , though the Europa League is an important step in the right direction. A fourth consecutive World Cup exit in the round of 16 may mask it, but the USMNT-coded edition of the Europa League is a sign that the player pool is trending in the right developmental direction and has been for decades, so much so that a healthy mix of MLS academy products and European youth team standouts will spend their Thursdays (and an occasional Wednesday) competing around the continent.

With Matchday 1 of the Europa League upon us, here's a glance at the many, many Americans who hope to leave a mark in this season's competition.

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AC Milan: Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah

He may not be back to full fitness just yet after an injury-plagued World Cup but until further notice, Christian Pulisic is the headliner on any list of standout Americans. It is hard to know how big a role the attacker might play for Milan in Wednesday's clash against Benfica but new head coach Ruben Amorim has looked forward to his return, while Pulisic has wasted no time getting to work – his first appearance of the season came as a halftime substitute on Saturday, notching an assist as Milan turned a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 draw . Pulisic has found a happy home in Milan since joining the club three years ago, enjoying a pair of career-best campaigns before hitting a slump last season that he hopes is old news. At his best, the 27-year-old has registered 17 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, easily offering value to an ambitious Milan side.

Pulisic is joined by midfielder Yunus Musah at Milan, who spent last season on loan at Atalanta but has earned Amorim's favor to start this campaign. He has started each of their opening games this season, offering glimpses of a skillset that led to his inclusion on the 2022 World Cup roster. Musah has an eye for a progressive pass and can play well with pressure, already making his case to re-emerge on the USMNT after spending much of Mauricio Pochettino's tenure on the outside looking in. Steady play in the Europa League will only help his argument.

Juventus: Weston McKennie

Midfielder Weston McKennie arrived at this summer's World Cup on the back of a career-best season at Juventus, laying the foundation for another important campaign with the Turin-based side. The 28-year-old's skill is wide-ranging, to the point that he went from playing wingback one week and center forward the next in a Champions League knockout tie last season, but Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti values McKennie's attacking abilities above all else. This time around, McKennie has the chance to prove that last season was not a fluke but rather the long-awaited start to a period where he can comfortably assert himself as a uniquely gifted player in the USMNT's pool – and in the European club game at large.

Bournemouth: Tyler Adams

The USMNT's midfield metronome is back in European competition for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when he made nine appearances in the Champions League for RB Leipzig. Tyler Adams has since helped Bournemouth chart an undeniable rise and is expected to play a sizable role in the team's first-ever European campaign. The 27-year-old offers defensive stability at the base of the midfield that is unmatched by his colleagues for club and country, all while boasting a physical presence that should make him a formidable competitor in the Europa League.

Crystal Palace: Chris Richards and Zavier Gozo

The USMNT's present and future converge at Crystal Palace, where World Cup starter Chris Richards now calls 19-year-old Zavier Gozo a teammate. Richards has become a crucial fixture for club and country in recent years and at 26 is poised to remain a key player at center back as the road to the 2030 tournament gets underway. Gozo, meanwhile, headlines a group of rising American talents itching to break into the senior national team. The winger notched 10 goals and seven assists in a season and a half before switching MLS' Real Salt Lake for Palace, likely becoming the first of many rising USMNT talents to make the jump. Gozo has already made his Premier League debut but new head coach Pierre Sage seems to have outlined a transitional integration into the first team for the newcomer, which makes the Europa League a fascinating breeding ground for his potential considering the mix and match of opponents they will take on.

Bayer Leverkusen: Malik Tillman

Months removed from scoring a crucial World Cup goal while wearing a bloody sock , midfielder Malik Tillman hopes to chart his own upward trajectory in his second season with Bayer Leverkusen. His playing time dried up in the back half of last season but Leverkusen's newest coach has placed value in Tillman's wide-ranging skillset, so much so that he already has his opening assist of the season. The task for Tillman, both this season and in the run-up to the 2030 World Cup, is matching his club form with his exploits on the national team this summer, when he emerged as one of the USMNT's most important players with a free-roaming role in the center of the park.

Marseille: Tim Weah

Tim Weah's abilities to play both as a winger and as a wingback have made him a quick staple at Marseille, so much so that he now wears the captain's armband in his second season at the club. Strong performances in the Europa League might be key to him rediscovering his role with the USMNT, taking a back seat in recent months despite serving as a starter – and the U.S. team's first goalscorer – at the 2022 World Cup.

Lyon: Tanner Tessman

Tanner Tessman was an unexpected omission from the World Cup roster but the injury that sidelined him at the end of Lyon's season is no longer an issue, the 24-year-old once again competing regularly for the French club. His ability to play both as a defensive midfielder and at center back has come in handy for both club and country, a skillset that could help him return to the good graces of USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino in an increasingly crowded midfield thanks to the emergence of several young players.

Celtic: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty

With one World Cup start and one World Cup goal under his belt, Auston Trusty returned to Celtic's back line with a familiar partner at center back – Cameron Carter-Vickers. The latter has recovered from an Achilles injury that derailed his chances to take part in this summer's tournament , the pair hoping to help the Scottish club find some stability after a rocky season and change. Strong performances will also ensure they stay in the national team picture since they, like Tessman, face stiff competition from rising talents.

What about the Conference League?

There's a reason to argue that, for all its flaws, the U.S. youth soccer pipeline is trending in the right direction – there are always Americans bouncing around Europe, even those who might never truly enter the national team picture. That is once again the case with the UEFA Conference League, where there will be a handful of Americans to keep an eye on in FC Twente duo Taylor Booth and Kevin Paredes, as well as Panathinaikos' Erik Palmer-Brown.

One American, though, will be visibly absent in Folarin Balogun. Monaco qualified for the Conference League but following his failed move to Everton , the Ligue 1 side has had some challenging choices to make with a bloated roster they were unable to trim. Balogun, as a result, has been omitted from their Conference League squad and has not played a single game since the World Cup while he deals with an undisclosed injury that was a sticking point in the transfer saga. Balogun's future will be something to keep an eye on in the coming months, especially if his game time is limited either by injury or by the coach's choice.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/usmnt-stars-in-europa-league-world-cup-core-christian-pulisic-weston-mckennie/)._