CONCACAF stars shine in the Champions League

There were starring performances from Northern and Central American players in Matchweek 6 of the Champions League, highlighting the greater strength of the region for talent production.

With representatives at major European teams like AC Milan, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, the United States had nine players involved in the midweek continental fixtures.

The headline for fans of the USMNT was the game-winning contribution of Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah, who came off the bench to seal Juventus' 2-0 victory over Manchester City. They combined for Juventus' second goal, McKennie supplying an acrobatic finish after a pin-point cross from Weah. That US one-two made history in the Champions League.

There was also success for Yunus Musah after featuring from the start in AC Milan’s 2-1 win over Crvena zvezda. USMNT teammate Christian Pulisic was ruled out due to injury as Milan picked up their fourth win in six UCL games, leaving them with a good chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.

Gio Reyna played 70 minutes for Borussia Dortmund in a narrow 3-2 loss to Barcelona, while Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter Vickers kept a clean sheet for Celtic in a 0-0 draw with Dinamo Zagreb. Elsewhere, Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi and Richard Ledezma all featured in PSV’s 1-0 loss to Brest.

How many CONCACAF players were in Champions League action?

With nine players in this week’s fixtures, USMNT were by far the most well-represented of the CONCACAF nations. There were another four players from the region, two Mexicans and one apiece from Canada and Panama.

Mexico’s Hirving Lozano and Santiago Gimenez were both invovled in PSV’s defeat on Wednesday. Canadian striker Jonathan David played 90 minutes in Lille’s 3-2 victory over Sturm Graz, providing the crucial assist for Hakon Arnar Haralssson’s winner. Finally, Panamanian wing-back Cesar Blackman was in action at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, featuring in Slovan Bratislava’s 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid.

With 13 players involved in Matchweek 6 of European soccer’s elite club competition, things are looking good for CONCACAF ahead of the USA-Mexico-Canada World Cup in 2026. However, speaking after his starring role in Juve’s win over Real Madrid, USMNT midfielder McKennie admitted that he felt underappreciated as an American in Europe.

“Being an American, being over here, it’s something you deal with, but I like it,” McKennie told reporter. “I like when people doubt me, and sometimes I play my best football when people doubt me.”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.