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

It was another stellar week for leading light Christian Pulisic.

Christian Pulisic’s fine 2025–26 form continued with two goals against Torino. / Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

The 2026 World Cup began to feel a little bit more real for the U.S. men's national team this week, and the weekend's matches brought the first following the World Cup draw.

Now that the USMNT knows it will face Australia, Paraguay and one of Slovakia, Kosovo, Türkiye or Romania, the planning can well and truly start for the tournament. At the same time, manager Mauricio Pochettino can start eyeing players to best fit those opponents.

This weekend saw the 2025 MLS season wrap up with Inter Miami capturing their first MLS Cup title and ensuring no USMNT players got their hands on the trophy—Sebastian Berhalter, Tristan Blackmon and Brian White all playing for the runners-up Vancouver Whitecaps.

Over in Europe though, the success continued for American players who are looking to impress in order to crack the 26-player roster.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the top five performances from around the globe.

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5. Noahkai Banks (Augsburg)

Noahkai Banks had a standout performance in Augsburg's upset win over Bayer Leverkusen. / Marcel Engelbrecht/Firo Sportphoto/Getty Images

Noahkai Banks is still a fringe option for the USMNT at center back, but the 19-year-old had an impressive performance for Augsburg over the weekend.

Caught in a relegation battle at the bottom of the Bundesliga, Augsburg upset fourth-place Bayer Leverkusen 2–0 and fellow American Malik Tillman, with Banks helping to secure the clean sheet as part of a back three.

Likely a name to follow for the 2030 World Cup instead of 2026, he led the match by winning eight duels, while also completing five passes into the final third.

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4. Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven)

Ricardo Pepi has rediscovered his scoring touch with PSV Eindhoven in the last month. / Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images

Ricardo Pepi got back-to-back starts for PSV Eindhoven for the first time in months and continued his recent run of form with a goal in the 2–0 win over Heerenveen. He now has five goals across 511 minutes in the Dutch top flight this season, and seems to have reestablished himself as a reliable option for the squad alongside Guus Til. 

With some good form, Pepi will hope to stay in the role for the remainder of the season and head into his likely World Cup inclusion in good form. Fellow American Sergiño Dest also played and helped keep the clean sheet.

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3. Josh Sargent (Norwich City)

Josh Sargent snapped his goal drought for Norwich City. / Sally Rawlins/Getty Images

Josh Sargent’s stock in the USMNT striker race has fallen since the 2022 World Cup, and if he wants to make his way into the squad for 2026, he’ll need to score a few more goals. 

The American striker snapped a 14-game goalless drought with a goal in a 3–2 loss to Watford in the Championship, bringing him to six goals and three assists in 19 matches this season.

Sargent wasn’t in the USMNT's October or November rosters, but could find his way into the March friendlies, which serve as the final tests before the pre-World Cup window in June. 

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2. Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

Gio Reyna had back-to-back starts for Borussia Mönchengladbach as he continues to gain trust at his new club. / Alex Grimm/Getty Images

The second-best moment for USMNT players this weekend came from Gio Reyna, even though he did not have a groundbreaking performance. Instead, the fact that he was included in Borussia Mönchengladbach's starting lineup twice was encouraging. 

Reyna, who scored in his November return to the USMNT, played 68 minutes against St. Pauli and three days later, started again in a 1–0 win over last-place Mainz on Friday, where he played 69 minutes and won five of eight duels. 

One of the most skilled players in the USMNT picture, Reyna will hope to establish himself as a regular starter through December and into the new year, with the aim to not only crack Pochettino’s squad but also start.

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1. Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)

SUPER SUB CHRISTIAN PULISIC DELIVERS FOR MILAN 💪

A BRACE IN JUST 10 MINUTES ⚽⚽ pic.twitter.com/oou5nSxktu

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 8, 2025

Christian Pulisic continued his outstanding season with AC Milan on Monday, coming off the bench to score a match-winning brace in a 3–2 win over Torino

Pulisic now has 13 league goals for the Rossoneri in 2025, the most he has managed in a single calendar year in his club career, and a number he can extend with three weeks left in 2025. 

The tallies also brought him level with Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez for the Serie A Golden Boot lead on seven goals, with the USMNT star holding the advantage, having done it in five fewer games. 

Averaging a goal every 64 minutes in Serie A, it has been an exceptional run for Pulisic in the first half of the 2025-26 campaign and he will look to carry that form into the summer and the World Cup. 

“Two days ago I was dead in bed, but I felt much better today and I am very happy I came here and was able to help the team,” Pulisic told Sky Sport Italia after the game, having suffered several setbacks this season. ”I didn’t know yesterday if I could play, but this morning I felt much better. I’m happier with the win than the goals, honestly.

“It has been a rather strange season. I do want to get more match fitness. We have to take it one game at a time and then we’ll see where we are at the end of the season.”

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