The U.S. men’s national team has plenty of competition for spots ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Brenden Aaronson put his name back in the conversation on Friday with his performance for Leeds United.
Aaronson scored just his second goal in the English top flight after he tapped in a rebound in a 2–1 win against West Ham United.
The goal was the American’s second in the Premier League across 45 appearances. It came more than three years after he previously scored in August 2022 against Chelsea, when Leeds were managed by current Canadian men’s national team boss Jesse Marsch.
“I’ve been working really hard after training and stuff like that, last week I got a little unlucky with one,” Aaronson told Sky Sports after the game. “But that’s just how football is, and you just got to stick with it. I did that, and I’m proud of myself.”
Aaronson first joined Leeds in 2022 after previously playing under Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg. Following Leeds’ relegation that season and Marsch’s departure, he went out on loan to Union Berlin before returning to Leeds in 2024.
In 46 Championship games, he scored nine goals, helping the team earn promotion back to the Premier League.
Struggles With USMNT
Aaronson has been with the USMNT at several points, but has struggled for consistent minutes under Mauricio Pochettino. In that time, he has played 10 games, starting only four and scoring just once.
He was on the Concacaf Gold Cup roster this summer and scored his only goal in a 5–0 win over Trinidad and Tobago playing 136 minutes across the tournament. He was relegated to a fringe substitute role behind MLS standouts Diego Luna and Sebastian Berhalter, among others.
The former Philadelphia Union academy product has plenty of experience with the USMNT, having been capped as a teenager in 2020.
With time ticking down to the World Cup, Aaronson looks to make a further claim for a roster spot.
Brendan Aaronson Stats: 2025–26
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Hopeful Aaronson Boosts World Cup Chances After Ending Three-Year Drought.
