With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico fast approaching, the 2025–26 season is of utmost importance for players looking to get in form ahead of the tournament.
For 10 Americans, that includes chasing the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League title, with the tournament’s league phase set to kick off Sept. 16. The prestigious final takes place May 30 in Budapest, Hungary just 13 days before the USMNT’s World Cup opener on June 12 in Los Angeles.
Mauricio Pochettino will certainly have an eye on the Champions League this season, and the participating players will look to impress him as they fight for spots on the World Cup roster.
Here is everything you need to know as a USMNT fan taking in Champions League action.
How to Watch the UEFA Champions League in the United States
Weston McKennie - Juventus
League Phase Opponents
- Home: Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Sporting CP, Pafos
- Away: Real Madrid, Villarreal, Bodo/Glimt, AS Monaco
Weston McKennie joined Juventus over five years ago, and has made himself a key part of the roster even as the coaching carousel has churned through multiple names. While he was not called up to the September USMNT camp, he has gotten back into a starting role with the Bianconeri under head coach Igor Tudor.
So far this season, he has played in three matches, and recently helped Juventus win the first Derby d’Italia of the campaign, playing 79 minutes in a thrilling 4–3 victory over last year’s UCL finalists, Inter Milan.
Although Juventus have not won a Champions League title since 1996, there’s added hope this season, with strong form to start the campaign, and a feisty striker battle between fellow Concacaf star Jonathan David, and Dušan Vlahović.
With over 20 appearances in the UCL so far, McKennie will hope to help lead them against challenging league phase opponents, including Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Tim Weah - Marseille
League Phase Opponents
- Home: Liverpool, Atalanta, Ajax, Newcastle United
- Away: Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Sporting CP, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
Tim Weah will take on the Champions League in new colors this season after completing his move to Ligue 1’s Olympique Marseille, where he has already taken on a more significant role than he had with Juventus.
The 25-year-old has started three of Marseille’s first four matches of the Ligue 1 campaign, mainly playing as a right back, but also spending time pushing forward in their attack.
Last season, the son of Liberia legend George Weah made nine appearances for Juventus in the UCL, and found the back of the net against PSV Eindhoven.
This year won’t start off easy though, as Marseille are set to take on Real Madrid in their first match.
Folarin Balogun - AS Monaco
League Phase Opponents
- Home: Manchester City, Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Galatasaray
- Away: Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Bodø/Glimt, Pafos
Fresh off a return to the USMNT, Folarin Balogun is set to tackle the Champions League with AS Monaco this season. A potential starter at the center forward position for Pochettino’s USMNT, the London-raised American will hope to prove himself against some of the world’s best clubs, hoping to earn more responsibilities with his national team.
The 24-year-old scored for the U.S. in a 2–0 win over Japan to close out the September window, but is still looking for his first Champions League goal, after making three appearances for Monaco in the competition last season.
While the challenges of facing Manchester City and Real Madrid highlight Monaco’s biggest challenges, they will also take on Juventus and fellow USMNT star, Weston McKennie on Jan. 28.
Johnny Cardoso - Atlético Madrid
- Home: Eintracht Frankfurt, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Inter Milan, Bodø/Glimt
- Away: Liverpool, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Galatasaray
Johnny Cardoso made his big move this summer, joining Atlético Madrid after helping Real Betis to the UEFA Conference League final last season.
Now, he competes in the Champions League after being one of head coach Diego Simeone’s primary targets in the summer transfer window.
Since his debut, he has amassed 185 minutes over three matches.
Although he was not called up to the most recent national team camp, he played significant minutes at the Concacaf Gold Cup, bringing him to 20 international appearances, thick in the battle for a roster spot at the 2026 World Cup.
The league phase will see Atléti take on defending Premier League champions Liverpool, as well as Arsenal and Inter Milan, among others.
Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi - PSV Eindhoven
- Home: FC Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Napoli, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
- Away: Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Olympiacos, Newcastle United
American right back Sergiño Dest and striker Ricardo Pepi will be key pieces for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivise and Champions League this season, as they eye significant roles at the World Cup.
Both recently returned from injury, and Dest made his way back into the USMNT lineup in September, after missing the Concacaf Gold Cup. Meanwhile, Pepi missed the camp, but recently scored a brace against NEC Nijmegen in his first start since suffering a knee injury in last season’s Champions League against Liverpool.
Back in form and fit, the UCL will be a focus, especially as they take on some challenging opponents such as Liverpool, Serie A winners Napoli, and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
They will also meet a couple of other American players in the league phase, with matches against Malik Tillman’s Bayer Leverkusen and Johnny Cardoso’s Atlético Madrid.
Malik Tillman - Bayer Leverkusen
League Phase Opponents
- Home: PSV Eindhoven, Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United, CF Villarreal
- Away: Copenhagen, Benfica, Manchester City, Olympiacos
Malik Tillman will take on the Champions League with a new club this season after joining Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen from PSV in the summer after scoring 16 goals in 34 games for the Dutch club in 2024–25.
Leverkusen brought him in after activating a $40.9 million release clause in his contract, with hopes he could replace Florian Wirtz after the German 22-year-old completed his big-money transfer to Liverpool.
So far this season, Tillman has played two matches and found his first goal for Leverkusen in a 3–3 draw against Werder Bremen. He and Leverkusen face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City in the league phase.
Yunus Musah - Atalanta
League Phase Opponents
- Home: Club Brugge, Slavia Praha, Chelsea, Athletic Club
- Away: Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Saint-Gilloise
Yunus Musah made his way out of AC Milan after struggling for minutes, but finds himself back in the Champions League with Atalanta after joining on loan just after the start of the season.
While playing for Milan, Musah made 82 appearances and even played in their season-opener 2–0 win over Lecce, where fellow American and now former club teammate Christian Pulisic scored his first goal of the Serie A season.
Since joining Atalanta, the 22-year-old Musah has played just 14 minutes, making his debut in a 4–1 win over Lecce.
As he takes on the UCL, he will hope to help Atalanta against some of the world’s best teams, including defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Chelsea and a test against Weah's Marseille and Timothy Chandler's Frankfurt.
Timothy Chandler - Eintracht Frankfurt
League Phase Opponents
- Home: Liverpool, Atalanta, Tottenham Hotspur, Galatasaray
- Away: FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Napoli, Qarabağ
It’s been 10 years since Timothy Chandler was last called up to the USMNT, but the 35-year-old is still on the books with Eintracht Frankfurt. He’s unlikely to see many minutes after making just three appearances last season, and with just 22 minutes this season, but he could find himself on the pitch in Europe's premier club competition.
Cole Campbell - Borussia Dortmund
- Home: Inter Milan, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt, Athletic Club
- Away: Manchester City, Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Copenhagen
Cole Campbell is the youngest American in the Champions League this season and could get some minutes as he continues to grow into Borussia Dortmund’s squad.
The 19-year-old right winger made his Bundesliga season debut in a 2–0 win over Heidenheim on Sept 13, after making the matchday squad for Dortmund’s first two matches of the campaign.
He made his Champions League debut last season with a 13-minute appearance for Dortmund against Sturm Graz, while making the matchday squad on six occasions. This season, he could come up against McKennie as Dortmund face Juventus, as one of several major tests.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Every USMNT Player Competing in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League.
