USMNT Stars Shine Bright: Ranking the Top 5 Players Who Dominated This Week's World Cup 2026 Journey

As fewer than 200 days remain before the U.S. men's national soccer team begins the 2026 FIFA World Cup on American territory, maintaining peak performance becomes increasingly vital for Mauricio Pochettino's ambitious squad of contenders.

Following a productive November international break that delivered notable victories against Paraguay and Uruguay, it remains essential that players excel with their respective clubs, building momentum toward what represents the pinnacle moment for many potential roster members.

Pochettino and his coaching staff will monitor developments carefully, paying special attention to fringe candidates, though they surely appreciated the displays from several established USMNT veterans this past weekend.

Below, Sports Illustrated evaluates the week's five standout individual showings.

5. Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille)

After more than two months without finding the net for Olympique Marseille, Tim Weah finally broke his Ligue 1 drought during his team's dominant 5–1 triumph over OGC Nice.

While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mason Greenwood had effectively decided the contest before Weah's 58th-minute contribution made it 4–0, it provided a satisfying moment for the 25-year-old who was again deployed at right-back.

4. Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

Coming off a reliable 67-minute display for the USMNT versus Paraguay, Joe Scally delivered one of his finest seasonal performances with Borussia Mönchengladbach, completing the entire match in a 3–0 victory over FC Heidenheim that stretched the team's winning run to four matches.

Scally topped all players with 11 duels won, 13 defensive actions, and 91% pass completion rate. Fellow USMNT player Gio Reyna also featured, entering for the closing 18 minutes.

3. Matt Freese (New York City FC)

Matt Freese leads the race to become USMNT's World Cup starter and secured at least one additional 2025 appearance with a stellar showing for New York City FC, who eliminated the Supporters' Shield champion Philadelphia Union in the MLS Cup playoffs Eastern Conference semifinal.

Freese delivered multiple world-class saves among his five stops as NYCFC advanced on Maxi Moralez's 27th-minute strike to reach their first Eastern Conference final since 2022, where they'll meet Lionel Messi and Inter Miami for an MLS Cup berth.

2. Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)

Malik Tillman made history as the first USMNT player in three years to record both a goal and assist in a single Bundesliga fixture, helping Bayer Leverkusen secure a 3–1 victory over VFL Wolfsburg.

The USMNT midfielder positioned himself perfectly to redirect an Alejandro Grimaldo delivery toward Jonas Hoffman, who converted the opener in the ninth minute. With Leverkusen already ahead by two goals, Tillman added his own strike in the 33rd minute, marking his third goal across seven Bundesliga appearances this campaign.

1. Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)

Pulisic with the winner for @acmilan 👏🔥#InterMilan pic.twitter.com/tatpin5TF8

Christian Pulisic continues his mastery of the Derby della Madonnina, netting his third goal in eight encounters against Inter Milan while guiding AC Milan to a 1–0 Sunday victory. His 54th-minute winner emerged from a swift counter-attack, as he positioned himself ideally to capitalize on Alexis Saelemaekers' long-range effort that Inter keeper Yann Sommer could only deflect.

This marked Pulisic's first goal since September 28 and elevated his tally to five goals across eight appearances, placing him joint-top in the Serie A Golden Boot standings despite missing considerable time through injury.