USMNT World Cup hopefuls still in the mix for Champions League and Europa League glory

While five U.S. World Cup candidates plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues will finish the domestic season without a league medal, continental silverware remains within reach as the spring knockout phase looms.

Only Christian Pulisic, an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 2021 Champions League final victory, has ever appeared on club football’s grandest stage among the current national-team pool. Pulisic’s AC Milan failed to qualify for any European competition this season, leaving the door open for a new American to etch his name into history.

The draw delivered sobering news for the two U.S. internationals still alive in the Champions League. Atalanta, with midfielder Yunus Musah expected to feature after four substitute appearances and two starts in the group stage, must navigate a tie against either Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Bayer Leverkusen, missing Malik Tillman because of an ankle complaint that kept him out of the 0-0 second-leg stalemate with Olympiacos, faces the same daunting bracket.

Across the Europa League, Olympique Lyonnais—top seeds after the preliminary round—received a playoff bye and will meet domestic rival Lille or Spain’s Celta Vigo on 12 and 19 March. Crystal Palace, buoyed by Chris Richards’ full 180-minute performance in Thursday’s 3-1 aggregate dismissal of Zrinjski Mostar, await either Mainz or Larnaca on the same dates.

Juventus’ elimination on a dramatic night in Turin ended Weston McKennie’s personal surge: four goals in ten matches, including a header in the 82nd minute while down to ten men that capped a three-goal comeback and forced extra time against Galatasaray. Likewise, Monaco’s exit halted Folarin Balogun’s hot streak; the striker scored twice against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg before the Ligue 1 side advanced 5-4 on aggregate.

Elsewhere, Auston Trusty and Celtic bowed out of the Europa League despite a 1-0 second-leg win at Stuttgart, undone by a 4-2 aggregate deficit. Tim Weah’s Marseille, Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi’s PSV, and the Juventus and Monaco contingents all failed to survive the previous Champions League phases.

Atlético Madrid cruised past Club Brugge 4-1 on Tuesday for a 7-4 aggregate win, with Benja Cremaschi—known stateside as Benjamin Cardoso—breaking a 1-1 deadlock early in the second half for his first goal in Spanish colors. A deep run would return Cardoso to a continental final twelve months after starting for Real Betis in their Conference League defeat to Chelsea.

Barcelona goalkeeper Diego Kochen, a U.S. under-21 international who has attended senior camps but is yet to debut for club or country, will watch from the stands as his side prepare to meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle.

The Round-of-16 first legs are scheduled for 10-11 March in the Champions League and 12 March in the Europa League, with decisive returns set for 17-18 March and 19 March respectively. For a cadre of American hopefuls, the path to World Cup sharpness now runs through Europe’s most unforgiving tournaments.