There would be few gifts better for American soccer fans holiday this season than some strong end of year form from some of the U.S. men's national team best players.
While some USMNT staff and players will make their way home for the holidays, others are playing through grueling parts of their schedule, like Christian Pulisic, who played on Thursday in AC Milan's Italian Super Cup loss to Napoli in Saudi Arabia.
There's plenty left this weekend, though, even if Pulisic's Rossoneri have the time off and the Americans in the Bundesliga take on their final stretch before the league's winter break.
Here, Sports Illustrated highlights the five USMNT players to watch in this weekend's action.
5. Auston Trusty
Fixture: Celtic vs. Aberdeen
Date and Time: Sunday, Dec. 21—10:00 a.m. ET / 7:00 a.m. PT
Channel: Celtic TV
It is trying times for Celtic at the moment, having lost four straight matches for the first time since the 1970s—all under new manager Wilfried Nancy, who came to the club after a successful spell with MLS side Columbus Crew.
Trusty has continued to play regular minutes under Nancy and has all season, but will also be needed to elevate the club's standing in the Scottish Premiership. At the same time, a good performance from Trusty could be critical in helping Nancy retain the role, with reports of his potential sacking less than three weeks in the job creating plenty of noise.
4. Sergiño Dest
Fixture: FC Utrecht vs. PSV Eindhoven
Date and Time: Sunday, Dec. 21—6:15 a.m. ET/ 3:15 a.m. PT
Channel: ESPN Select, fuboTV
PSV Eindhoven are playing some must-watch soccer from a USMNT perspective at the moment, with both Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi enjoying spells of good form.
Dest, who missed significant time earlier in the year due to injury, has been a regular starter at right back over the last several months, with 15 starts in as many matches. He enters Sunday's clash against FC Utrecht after a skillful assist in a 4–3 win over Heracles.
Once you're tuned in to see Dest, you won't miss Pepi either, as he has six goals in 13 Eredivisie matches and nine in 20 games across all competitions.
3. Chris Richards
Fixture: Leeds United vs. Crystal Palace
Date and Time: Saturday, Dec. 20—3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT
Channel: USA Network, NBC Sports App
Chris Richards has been among the best American players in 2025, fully establishing himself as a star center back with the USMNT and Crystal Palace. This week, he matches up with a fellow American, Brendan Aaronson, who could be a starter for Leeds United.
The USMNT star will hope to lead the Eagles to a clean sheet and victory heading into the holiday week, with the club sitting tied on points with Manchester United for fifth in the table, holding onto a UEFA Europa League position. A win, however, could push them into the top four and the Champions League spots.
2. Malik Tillman
Fixture: RB Leipzig vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Date and Time: Saturday, Dec. 20—12:30 p.m. E.T / 9:30 a.m. PT
Channel: ESPN Select, fuboTV
Malik Tillman will play his final game of a formative 2025 calendar year as Bayer Leverkusen take on RB Leipzig to close out the first part of the Bundesliga campaign.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder got off to a rough start with the German side, but he and the club have found form in the final months of the year. They enter the matchup with three wins in their last five, including last week's victory over FC Köln in the Rhine Derby.
Tillman, who has three goals in 10 games, could also be in for a more elevated role with the USMNT heading into the March international window, depending on how Pochettino adapts to Tyler Adams' injury in midfield.
1. Weston McKennie
Fixture: Juventus vs. Roma
Date and Time: Saturday, Dec. 20—2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT
Channel: Paramount+, fuboTV, DAZN USA, FOX Deportes, Fox Sports
Weston McKennie has been enjoying some of the best soccer of his career and is playing high-stakes minutes for Juventus as they fight to remain in contention for Champions League places, which are awarded to the top four finishers in Serie A.
McKennie, 27, has primarily played wide this season and has two goals in Champions League action, while still searching for his first in Serie A after 10 appearances.
This week sees Juventus take on Roma in a clash of Serie A giants, with the Bianconeri sitting fifth in the league on 26 points, four adrift of their weekend opponents.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Road to World Cup 2026: Five USMNT Players to Watch This Weekend.