Before the 2022 World Cup, a number of the world's biggest stars took strategic steps in their club careers in preparation for the tournament. Most notably, Lionel Messi moved to French Club Paris Saint Germain leading up to the trip to Qatar. The aim was to take advantage of the lighter workload in the French Ligue 1, to save his legs. As we all know, this wound up paying immense dividends for the Argentine, with his nation lifting the Jules Rimet trophy.
As one could imagine, countless players take steps like this in their careers, albeit more often to increase their game time, as well as their odds of selection for their national teams when a major tournament comes around. That being said, a considerable number of the USMNT have taken strategic steps to put themselves in good stead looking forward to this upcoming tournament cycle. Interestingly, many of them have chosen to team up in more competitive set-ups at the same club.
Many Premier League watchers will remember recent Leeds United teams, dubbed "America's team" and packed with USMNT talent — with midfielders Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, along with Brenden Aaronson joining together at the Yorkshire club. While that trio has since disbanded, it's important to remember how demanding careers at the highest level can be. Grouping players up in this way might not be the worst way to help ensure success at the highest level. Players from other nations are more likely to fall into clubs with teammates of similar cultures, ways of life, and thinking. That's not always the case for American players, keeping them together in this way could be a game-changer for this squad.
Key USMNT players are getting high-level experience at the top clubs in Europe
Few of us will forget when Christian Pulisic, now USMNT captain, first made the move from German Club Borussia Dortmund, to Premier League club Chelsea for £58 million. With playing time at the west London club becoming difficult to come by due to managerial and tactical shifts, the winger made the strategic decision to join 2023 Champions League semi-finalists and Italian giants AC Milan, along with USMNT teammate Yunus Musah.
Not too far north in Turin, USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie is being joined by former LOSC Lille striker Timothy Weah at Juventus. The former is returning from loan from Leeds United, the latter is also taking a step up by joining the Italian giants from the French Ligue 1.
The most interesting example of this is actually happening in the Netherlands with former USMNT member Earnie Stewart joining Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven as their Sporting Director, ushering in a slew of impactful signings. This past July, USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven only to be joined by Bayern Munch talent Malik Tillman and Sergino Dest on loan from Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively. While many may look at these moves as taking a step down from more competitive leagues, they are more strategic decisions to fast-track their development in environments where they might get more playing time.
At the same time, back in the Premier League, defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson will continue plying their trade at London club Fulham. USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner has also made the strategic step to leave Premier League runner-up Arsenal, to ply his trade at Nottingham Forest, along with fellow goalkeeper Ethan Horvath.
While few squad members will now be playing in the English Premier League or Spain's La Liga, their league choice may put them in good stead. In particular, looking at the players who have opted for the very offensive Dutch Eredivisie, as well as the more defensive Italian Serie A. At the same time gaining confidence going forward, as well as developing defensive solidity and capacity to break down stingy defenses, increasing the quality of the side going forward.
Times have indeed changed. With shifting dynamics in CONCACAF, due to the rise of Canadian soccer, as well as a dip in Mexico's standing in the region, it's important to look at what USMNT might be doing right. Keeping players in Europe and playing together at the highest level could be the key to unlocking future success in the future, particularly seeing as Mexico is having trouble being able to do so. We can all remember Landon Donovan, in many ways Christian Pulisic's precursor, spending the bulk of his career with the LA Galaxy in MLS. Many might wonder what might have been had he stayed in Europe with Bayer Leverkusen.
What we're hopefully seeing is an ideal stage being set for the USMNT to shine during the 2025 Gold Cup, as well as at the next World Cup on home soil. Provided these players can stay fit and find stability at their current clubs, they may leverage this to build momentum leading up to future international tournaments. Given how young and talented this team is, they should be in prime position to take advantage of these shifts going forward. Having watched the USMNT the last time they made a run on the world's greatest stage, I'm looking forward to seeing if this "buddy system" pays dividends.