The group of American players in Europe’s top soccer leagues is more visible than ever, and two of them scored on the opening night of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Christian Pulisic celebrated his upcoming birthday by scoring an early goal for AC Milan in their Champions League debut. However, that was the only bright spot for him as Milan lost 3-1 at home to Liverpool.
Pulisic’s season has been strong, even as his team struggles. Milan has only won one of its five matches this season under new coach Paulo Fonseca. Pulisic, who will turn 26 on Wednesday, has scored three goals and provided two assists during this time.
“It’s another bad result for us; we have to find answers, improve, and win matches,” Pulisic said after the loss to Liverpool. “We had the right energy at times, but we couldn’t keep it up consistently… it’s been a difficult start to the season for us, we’re not happy, and we have to change things.”
Pulisic wasn’t the only American who scored on Tuesday. Weston McKennie, his USMNT teammate, had a better night, scoring Juventus’ second goal in their 3-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in an earlier match.
Three other Americans also played on the opening day of the Champions League: Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman, and Richie Ledezma, all for PSV.
More American players, like Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna and injured Juventus forward Tim Weah, might play later this week or in the competition.
With so many Americans competing at the highest club level, this is encouraging news for the new U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino as the team prepares for a home World Cup in 2026.
Pulisic was the first American to appear in a Champions League final when he won the title with Chelsea in 2021.
