Top 50 USMNT players for 2026, assessed based on club performance: USMNT Player Performance Index makes a comeback
It’s that unique period that occurs once every four years: when every minor injury in any professional men’s soccer match could potentially impact the World Cup.
We are approaching the tournament to the extent that a significant injury is no longer necessary to exclude a player. Even a two-month injury raises various concerns: Will he be completely fit by June? Will he be in good form by June?
A more optimistic perspective on the same notion: We have arrived at a stage in the pre-World Cup season where every event in the club scene begins to feel intertwined with the international stage.
If a key player loses his place: Will he be out of form at the World Cup? If a star from one of the favorites starts underperforming: Will he even secure a spot on the World Cup roster? If an unexpected contender goes on a scoring spree: Can they afford to leave him off the flight? If several forwards from the same nation net goals over the same weekend: Can they play together?
This is equally applicable to the U.S. men’s national team.
The era when the USMNT had a few European-based players guaranteed a spot on the roster, accompanied by a mix of MLS talent, is over. Presently, there are Americans starting and excelling in every major league and the Champions League, along with MLS players who have valid claims to roster positions due to the improving quality of the domestic league. Numerous questions arise regarding who should start and who should be included in the roster, leading to many skilled and accomplished players potentially being benched or omitted.
To provide an overview of how all eligible Americans are performing, we are releasing the latest version of the USMNT Player Performance Index.
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What is the USMNT PPI again?
We have described how this operates sufficiently, so we will keep it concise. This ranking is based on a formula that incorporates three factors: talent, playing time, and team quality.
Talent is derived from Transfermarkt’s estimated market value for each player, which is the most straightforward measure available. Playing time reflects the percentage of available minutes each player has participated in for his team in their domestic league. Team quality is assessed through Opta’s power rankings, which evaluate every professional club team globally and provide a consistent method for gauging the quality of each USMNT player’s club team.
The rankings are founded on a straightforward principle: If you are logging significant minutes and your team holds a high rating, you are likely delivering valuable contributions to your team.
The only variable that shifts throughout the season is the weight assigned to each metric. As the season progresses, we rely less on the Transfermarkt value, so for this edition, it constitutes only 4% of the rating, while 18% is allocated to the percentage of minutes played and 78% to the team rating.
Although MLS kicks off this weekend, we are using last season’s statistics for any MLS-based players. Additionally, I have excluded any player who has not participated in at least 10% of the minutes for his non-MLS club and any MLS player who did not play in at least 60% of his team’s minutes last season.
Notable absentees include: Patrick Agyemang, who has been quite effective for Derby County, currently in playoff contention in the Championship, but has been hindered by an early-season injury and a low power rating for his team. Alejandro Zendejas has also played only about half the minutes for Club América, which is having a challenging year. Cameron Carter-Vickers has been sidelined for much of the season, and Celtic is also experiencing a tough year. Josh Sargent has not featured for Norwich since early January, as he seeks a move to MLS, while Norwich sits 17th in England’s second-tier Championship. In MLS, players like Diego Luna and Matt Turner are absent due to their teams’ poor performances last season.
With that, here is the list we have compiled that ranks Americans based on club performance…
1. Chris Richards, center back, Crystal Palace
This serves as a testament to the strength of the Premier League.
Despite their recent difficulties, Crystal Palace is still rated by Opta as the 22nd-best team globally. Richards has been one of the club’s few constants during a tumultuous season, having played 84% of the minutes at center back, and Palace’s goal differential improves by nearly 0.7 goals per 90 minutes when Richards is on the pitch.
Richards’ journey — from Bayern Munich youth talent to Crystal Palace starter — represents an ideal scenario for any American who transitions to one of Europe’s elite clubs as a teenager. While they may not be ready to compete at the senior level for Bayern Munich, they can still gain valuable development experience and become a starter elsewhere in Europe’s top leagues.
2. Tyler Adams, midfielder, AFC Bournemouth
I noted this back in December:
“If I told you that Adams had played nearly 90% of the minutes for a solid Premier League team this season, you might have one of two reactions: (1) Wow, that’s excellent news for the World Cup! Or (2) Oh no, he’s going to get injured before the World Cup.”
I recognize that I can be quite critical of anxious USMNT supporters who believe the USMNT should be the top priority for every American soccer player, even though 90% of their time and earnings come from sources other than representing the USMNT. However, if you observed Adams excel at Bournemouth and thought, “This is bad” instead of “This is good,” you were somewhat correct: He sustained an injury right after the last USMNT PPI was released and has not played since early December.
A peculiarity of these ratings is that he moved up despite being sidelined due to the new weighting we apply as the season progresses. He will, of course, drop soon if he does not return to action.
3. Weston McKennie, midfielder or forward (?), Juventus
Three years ago, Weston McKennie was enduring the most challenging season of his career — on loan at a Leeds United team that was on the verge of relegation and would dismiss multiple managers after his arrival. Meanwhile, Luciano Spalletti was leading a Napoli team powered by Victor Osimhen to one of the more unexpected Serie A titles in recent history.
Fast forward to today, and here’s Spalletti: “McKennie is an ideal central striker. He competes, is strong in the air, and has impressive jumping ability. He plays to achieve results because he makes smart decisions. He would be an excellent striker.”
Spalletti took over as Juventus manager in October, and like every Juventus manager before him, he has grown fond of the American. With McKennie thriving for a Juventus team that is performing better than their record suggests, he is likely to return to the starting XI for the USMNT this summer. While it remains uncertain whether USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino will deploy him as a striker, it is worth noting: Weston McKennie just started a Champions League knockout match as the center forward for Juventus.
4. Christian Pulisic, winger, AC Milan
He has not scored or assisted since last year, yet he remains tied for the Serie A lead in non-penalty goals+assists per 90 minutes. He is not ranked No. 1 primarily because he has only participated in about 40% of the league minutes this season.
play2:49Should Mauricio Pochettino be concerned with Christian Pulisic’s form?
The “Futbol Americas” team analyzes Christian Pulisic’s form in 2026 and discusses its potential impact on his World Cup chances.
5. Sergiño Dest, fullback, PSV
International soccer can lead to unusual thoughts, prompting statements like: Well, I suppose he tore his ACL at the right moment! Dest missed the Copa América and has not featured much under Pochettino, but two years have allowed him to regain his form and reestablish himself as one of the top players on the best team in the Netherlands.
6. Malik Tillman, attacking midfielder, Bayer Leverkusen
He has not been particularly outstanding in Germany, but it is promising for Tillman that his new club dismissed its manager (Erik ten Hag) shortly after his arrival, yet he has remained a first-choice player under new manager, Kasper Hjulmand.
There was a scenario where Tillman moved to the Bundesliga and struggled, but that does not seem to be the case. Establishing himself as a dependable starter for one of the stronger teams in Germany is a solid position as he approaches his peak years.
7. Tanner Tessmann, midfielder, Olympique Lyonnais
What are the primary responsibilities of midfielders? Primarily: passing the ball and winning possession. According to Gradient Sports’ evaluations, Tessmann has performed these tasks at an above-average level for the third-place team in Ligue 1.
Considering that he is just entering his prime and that Ligue 1 midfielders typically transition well to the Premier League, coupled with his physical stature, could a lucrative move to England be on the horizon?
8. Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Atlético Madrid
Hey! He’s back in action! And he has been holding his own, too:
It is unlikely we will see Cardoso break into the USMNT starting lineup anytime soon — the Americans are currently too deep in midfield, especially if the back three eliminates one of the midfield positions in the 4-3-3 formation — but this should at least reintroduce him into consideration for a spot on the final roster.
9. Ricardo Pepi, forward, PSV
He suffered a broken forearm in January — right after he had seemingly secured a starting position at PSV.
I remain somewhat skeptical about the rumored potential transfer to Fulham — but only from Fulham’s standpoint. High-scoring Eredivisie forwards often struggle in larger leagues, and much of Pepi’s scoring has occurred against fatigued defenders, coming off the bench.
However, from Pepi’s perspective? He should definitely pursue a move to Fulham, challenge himself, and earn a substantial salary. The career of a professional soccer player is far too brief.
play2:56Did PSV make a mistake by not moving on Ricardo Pepi?
The “Futbol Americas” team discusses whether PSV Eindhoven made the right choice by not pursuing Ricardo Pepi.
10. Brenden Aaronson, attacking midfielder, Leeds United
Previously, Aaronson did not appear to be a Premier League-caliber player. He exerted a lot of energy, pressed vigorously, and contributed little else. However, back with Leeds for his second opportunity in England’s top division, he has nearly matched his total expected goals+assists from 2022-23, with 13 matches still remaining.
11. Antonee Robinson, fullback, Fulham
Another conveniently timed fullback injury, it seems! After being injured at the end of last season, he has returned to Fulham’s lineup.
There are questions regarding how he might fit into the USMNT’s new back-three system, but if he remains healthy and concludes the season strongly, I would expect Pochettino to find a way to utilize him on the field.
12. Timothy Weah, winger, Olympique Marseille
13. Yunus Musah, midfielder, Atalanta
14. Alex Freeman, fullback, Villarreal
He has made substitute appearances in his last two matches with Villarreal. They are enjoying a fantastic season (at least in Spain), so breaking into the starting lineup may be challenging, but let’s take a moment to reflect: Alex Freeman had not started an MLS match at this time last year, and now he is getting minutes for the third-place team in Spain, having joined the club only a few weeks ago.
15. Folarin Balogun, striker, Monaco
We are now in year four of him scoring fewer goals than his expected-goals totals. This is more concerning than it appears, as xG is compiled across all positions, meaning we would anticipate the average forward to net slightly more goals than their xG indicates. He is currently at 0.43 non-penalty goals+assists per 90 minutes in Ligue 1, but perhaps we should ask PSG about his finishing abilities?
When considering all competitions, Balogun’s statistics are largely consistent with last season: 0.5 goals+assists per 90 minutes. Regardless of Spalletti’s views on McKennie, there is no other American center forward capable of producing at that level across Europe’s Big Five leagues and the Champions League.
Just revisit his off-ball movement in those two goals against PSG. No disrespect to Brian McBride, but the USMNT has never had a player of this caliber.
16. Mark McKenzie, center back, Toulouse
17. Mark Delgado, midfielder, LAFC
There is no straightforward method to incorporate MLS players into these rankings, and I believe that MLS teams are generally
