Road to World Cup 2026: The USMNT’s Four Best Players of the Week—Ranked

Christian Pulisic continued his dazzling form for Milan to close out the calendar year.

Christian Pulisic has his sights set on the Serie A Golden Boot. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

The final weekend of 2025 brought plenty of excitement across European soccer and four Americans stood out among the rest in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup. 

While players in England and Italy played packed match calendars, it was a quieter week across the board as the Bundesliga, La Liga and the Eredivisie took their annual holiday breaks ahead of the new year.

For those who were on the pitch, it was a memorable week of festive soccer, one that surely intrigued U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino. Sports Illustrated ranks the top four performances of the week from his players across the globe.

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4. Antonee Robinson (Fulham)

Antonee Robinson played all 90 minutes for the third time in the Premier League this season for Fulham. / Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Getty Images

Antonee Robinson’s return with Fulham continued to stand out as he played his third and fourth full matches of the season this week, helping the Cottagers to 1–0 victories against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.

While he was tentative in his return match earlier in December, the left back has now gotten back to his top form after overcoming a long-term knee issue. Robinson’s defensive prowess was on full display against the Tricky Trees, recording four tackles, four clearances and six recoveries to preserve the clean sheet for his side.

The 28-year-old then created a game-high four chances against the Hammers and misplaced just three passes in his 90 minutes on the pitch in London.

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3. Patrick Agyemang (Derby County)

Brewster ➡️ Agyemang. This link-up. 😍 pic.twitter.com/dGLJXdRSiV

— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) December 27, 2025

Patrick Agyemang started and ended 2025 in fine form. The striker scored in the USMNT’s friendly wins to kick off the year and 12 months later, finished with four goals in six matches for Derby County, including his team’s only goal Sunday’s 1–1 draw with Birmingham City. 

Having made the transfer from MLS side Charlotte FC to the EFL Championship this season, the towering frontman took some time to adjust to the new league, but he has now hit his stride. Agyemang’s goal against the Blues came after a perfect run on the counter attack to exploit space in the middle channel of the attacking third, before beating James Beadle with a thunderous header. 

Now sitting on six goals and three assists in 19 appearances across all competitions, the 25-year-old is putting pressure on a competitive American striker position, alongside Monaco’s Folarin Balogun and PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi, who have also enjoyed standout campaigns. 

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2. Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)

😍 Simply beautiful! pic.twitter.com/6yxFbKXh4P

— Leeds United (@LUFC) December 28, 2025

His time with the USMNT may not have stood out in 2025, but Brenden Aaronson has been enjoying some consistent and standout form with Leeds United in the Premier League and showcased that in Sunday’s 1–1 draw with Sunderland. 

The 25-year-old played a central role in a standout Leeds performance and was a key factor in a sublime team goal—which featured 12 passes—before Aaronson played the final ball for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to finish in the 47th minute. 

It was Aaronson’s third assist in his last seven matches for Leeds, which is as many as he had in his first 46 matches for the club. This season, he has a goal and three assists in 17 Premier League contests.

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1. Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)

Christian Pulisic helped AC Milan to a 3–0 win over Hellas Verona. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

The start to the 2025–26 season has been exceptional for Christian Pulisic, and he ended the calendar year on a high note on Sunday, scoring his 10th goal of the season in all competitions in Milan’s 3–0 win over Hellas Verona. 

The winner brought Pulisic to eight league goals on the season. Briefly, it tied him with Inter’s Lautaro Martínez for the Serie A Golden Boot, before the Argentine found a goal in a 1–0 win over Atalanta to re-establish his lead. 

For Pulisic, though, the rate at which he scores goals has been the most significant factor. Playing as a false nine and creative 10, while also spending time on the wing, he is averaging a goal every 74 minutes, the best among those who have played at least 150 Serie A minutes. 

With 50 goal contributions in his first 81 games for Milan and an outstanding first portion of the season, Pulisic will hope to carry his form into 2026 as the most crucial player for the USMNT heading into the World Cup. 

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