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

January wrapped up with some outstanding performances from Americans in Europe.

Malik Tillman had one of the best weeks of his career with three goals across two matches. | Jörg Schüler/Bayer 04 Leverkusen/Getty Images

The final weekend of January saw some of the best performances of the season from U.S. men's national team players, with some looking to find form ahead of the 2026 World Cup while others took major career steps.

Although the USMNT’s most important player, Christian Pulisic has yet to rekindle his early season form with AC Milan, others have shown immense progress as the American player pool develops through the 2025–26 campaign.

The latest week saw plenty of Americans stand out in the final week of the Champions League league phase, as well as in their domestic leagues, while MLS players continued to approach their upcoming campaigns with ongoing preseason camps across Europe, South America and the U.S.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the top four performances of the week from American players across the globe.

---

4. Gianluca Busio (Venezia)

23-year-old Gianluca Busio has been a key performer for Venezia as they seek promotion back to Serie A. | Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Gianluca Busio isn’t in the running to make the 2026 World Cup squad, but at 23 years old, he has the potential to be a player of the future of the USMNT. This weekend saw him score his fifth goal of the season in Venezia’s 2–1 win over Carrarese in Serie B action as he continues a strong campaign. 

With 17 USMNT caps to his name, the step down to Serie B after relegation last year has allowed him to develop as an attacker, potentially setting him up for further success in the seasons to come. 

Boasting five goals and an assist in 21 matches so far in 2025–26, Busio has played a key role in Venezia’s success as they sit atop the division with 47 points through 22 matches, eyeing promotion in the coming months. 

A former Sporting Kansas City starlet, Busio is in the final five months of his contract with the Italian side.

---

3. Folarin Balogun (Monaco)

Folarin Balogun picked up an injury in an otherwise impressive week across the Champions League an Ligue 1. | portinfoto/DeFodi Images/DeFod/Getty Images

The presumed starting striker for the USMNT this summer, Folarin Balogun had a heavy week with a scoreless draw against Weston McKennie’s Juventus in the Champions League, followed by a 4–0 win over Rennes in Ligue 1 action. 

While he struggled to make a significant impact in the Champions League, he helped set up two goals against Rennes, picking up an assist on Ansu Fati’s opening strike in the 33rd minute. 

Although he wasn’t extremely present in front of the goal, his ability to drop deeper and set up each of Fati and fellow winger, Aleksandr Golovin showed his adaptability as a playmaker in a central attacking role. 

Despite a productive match, Balogun had to leave in the 56th minute with hamstring tightness, a worrying sign for the next few weeks leading into the March friendlies with the USMNT. 

---

2. Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)

Malik Tillman earned Player of the Match honors for a brace against Villarreal in the Champions League. | Jörg Schüler/Bayer 04 Leverkusen/Getty Images

Malik Tillman’s return to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen has had its ups and downs this season, but he had an outstanding week, scoring three goals across two matches.

To start, the American bagged a brace against Villarreal in the Champions League to help his side move on in the competition with a 16th-place finish in the league phase, before playing a key role and finding the back of the net in his side’s 3–1 win over Frankfurt on Saturday. 

Both matches saw him play as a right-sided attacking midfielder, where he made late runs into the box and quick linkups with a mix of attacking partners, including Ibrahim Maza and Patrik Schick against Villarreal, and Martin Terrier and Christian Kofane against Frankfurt. 

While he likely won’t maintain scoring more than a goal per game, the uptick in attacking form will be welcome news for Pochettino, with the USMNT looking to bolster further attacking midfield options alongside Christian Pulisic, who has started to slow down with Milan. 

---

1. Weston McKennie (Juventus)

Weston McKennie was at it again for @juventusfc on Sunday! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rMtrVGXj19

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) February 2, 2026

Weston McKennie still doesn’t have a contract beyond 2026 with Juventus, but given how he has played, that seems bound to change. This week, the 27-year-old star continued to showcase his stellar form with his third goal of the Serie A season in a 4–1 win over Parma, following up a strong showing in a scoreless draw against Monaco to advance in the Champions League. 

The goal against Parma marked his fourth in all competitions since the calendar flipped to 2026 and helped the Bianconeri to fourth in the Serie A table, extending a consistent rise under manager Luciano Spalletti. 

McKennie started centrally in the win over Parma, playing as a near false-nine compared to the wider roles he has played for the majority of this season. The adjustment came less than a week after Spalletti called him a potential “perfect striker,” following a win over Napoli. 

The performance saw him continue to make the most of a flourishing partnership with fellow North American Jonathan David, while mustering two chances created and three shots. David, meanwhile, found his fourth goal and third assist in the last seven matches. 

McKennie’s versatility and continued standout play can only be good news for everyone involved. For Juventus, their hopes of Champions League play in 2026–27 continued, while McKennie made his case for a new contract. As for the USMNT, he’ll hope to bring that form into March and to the World Cup.

---