The five best USMNT youngsters shining in Europe and aiming for 2026 World Cup squad

With the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams at his disposal, United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter will be able to call upon a gifted generation of players approaching their peak for the World Cup on home soil in 2026.

And the pipeline of US talent continues to flow, with dozens of high-potential youngsters emerging in recent seasons who will also hope to be involved; many of whom are already plying their trade in Europe’s biggest leagues.

Here are five American players aged 21 or under who are currently impressing on the other side of the Atlantic.

Yunus Musah – AC Milan

AC Milan’s do-it-all midfielder Musah has packed a remarkable amount of experience into what is still a fledgling career.

The 21-year-old broke through at Valencia as a teenager, having joined from Arsenal, and played more than 100 games for the Spanish club in three seasons as a regular starter.

He was a key component of the USMNT’s midfield make-up at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, too, where he stood out with his energy, drive and incisive passing in the middle third.

A former England youth international, the New York-born midfielder elected to represent the nation of his birth at senior international level and earned a first call-up in November 2022. He has since gone on to accumulate 33 caps for the USMNT.

Musah joined Italian giants AC Milan – where he is a team-mate of United States superstar Pulisic – in a €20 million deal last summer and assumed the No.80 jersey previously worn by Ronaldinho. He might differ stylistically from the uber-entertaining Brazilian legend, but Musah has lived up to the billing thus far in Milan, featuring regularly in Serie A and the Champions League.

Providing his form, fitness and development continue on track, Musah will be a USMNT mainstay at the 2026 World Cup.

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Joe Scally – Borussia Monchengladbach

Scally only turned 21 in December but he has already logged three seasons as a regular starter in the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Capable of playing at right-back or centre-back – he has even filled in on the left side of defence at times this season – the former New York City FC prospect is a no-frills defender who reliably performs the simple tasks of his role without taking too many risks or over-elaborating. He is a defender’s defender.

Scally was an unused member of the USMNT’s 2022 World Cup squad. His steady performances for Gladbach should ensure the young defender is more involved in 2026.

Malik Tillman – PSV

Still under contract with parent club Bayern Munich, 21-year-old Tillman has been steadily developing into one of the United States’ best prospects while out on loan over the past two seasons.

A tall, athletic and creative attacking midfielder, Tillman scored 10 league goals and was named the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year in a temporary stint with Rangers last term. This season, on loan with PSV, Tillman ranks as one of the most consistently creative players outside of Europe’s top five leagues, despite not being a regular starter.

According to FBref.com, in addition to his six Eredivisie goals and five assists, Tillman ranks in the 99th percentile among attacking midfielders in the “next 14 competitions” – defined as the next-best leagues outside of England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany – for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, non-penalty expected goals per 90, assists per 90, expected assists per 90 and shot-creating actions per 90.

He has also proven to be a diligent worker off the ball, ranking in the 97th percentile for tackles per 90 and the 98th percentile for blocks.

Born in Germany to American and German parents, Tillman represented Germany in most youth age groups before, in 2022, deciding to play for the USMNT at senior international level.

Gio Reyna – Nottingham Forest (on loan from Borussia Dortmund)

The last two years have been tough for Reyna. The gifted American playmaker followed in Pulisic’s footsteps to break through at Borussia Dortmund as a teenager. And he looked destined even to eclipse the former Chelsea star’s trajectory as he racked up nearly 2,000 Bundesliga minutes in his first full season in BVB’s senior team.

But a combination of injuries, poor form and stiff competition for places in the attacking midfield positions at Signal Iduna Park have seriously hampered his prospects in recent seasons.

With just five Bundesliga starts in 18 months, Reyna joined Nottingham Forest in January. But he has found playing time equally hard to find at the City Ground, with just 38 minutes of Premier League action to his name so far.

Reyna’s talent as a final-third creator is not in question. His immediate place in the USMNT, however, is.

“We know Gio is a creative player. We know he’s a great player for the final pass,” Berhalter told The Athletic when asked about Reyna’s chances of being selected for this month’s CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals.

“And you know, we have to see what he can do in terms of workload, how long he could last in the field because he hasn’t been playing, but we also see other options as well.”

Ricardo Pepi – PSV

Pepi’s career in Europe initially got off to a slow start. After a breakout 13-goal MLS season with FC Dallas in 2021, the 6ft 1ins striker followed the well-trodden path for young American soccer talent by moving to the Bundesliga, joining Augsburg for a club-record €16 million.

But a failure to score in 16 appearances across two seasons led to Pepi being loaned to FC Groningen in the Eredivisie. There, he came to life, scoring 13 goals in 31 games.

That output convinced Dutch giants PSV to splash €11 million to sign Pepi last summer. And while he is not a regular starter – he has started just one Eredivisie game so far this season – he has proven impactful, scoring seven goals.

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