GOAL takes a look at which American players are playing the best heading into the final weeks of 2025.
It’ll be a while before the U.S. men’s national team convene again – a few months, to be exact. With no international breaks until March, everything shifts back to the club level, even as that little thing called the World Cup looms in the distance.
As the U.S. build toward that tournament, most of the heavy lifting now happens with their clubs. From the Champions League to the MLS playoffs, several of the USMNT’s key players are finding form at the right time, putting in meaningful performances as 2025 winds down. Keeping that momentum rolling into the spring will be vital, especially for those hoping to carve out bigger roles by summer.
From established USMNT starters to those pushing for a breakthrough, these are the American stars thriving at the club level. This is not a ranking of the best players, overall, but rather a snapshot of who is showing the best form at the moment. GOAL takes a look at this recurring feature, tracking the pulse of U.S. talent worldwide.
Imagn5Sebastian Berhalter
The only MLS player on this list but, when you look at the quality of his recent performances, you can't leave him off.
Berhalter has been magnificent for the Vancouver Whitecaps all season long, which is why he's vaulted himself right into World Cup contention. Down the stretch, he's taken his game up a notch, particularly in the games that have mattered most. Just four days after scoring and assisting against Uruguay, Berhalter played 120 minutes in an instant classic against LAFC, finishing the game as a pseudo-fullback after seeing the Whitecaps go down two men. He was really good against San Diego FC, too, to help the Whitecaps book their spot in the MLS Cup final.
If the Whitecaps do beat Miami in that final, it is easy to assume Berhalter will have played a huge part.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport4Tyler Adams
If you don't know why he's here, check out his recent goal against Sunderland. That finish was nothing less than world-class. It was surprising, then, that it came from a player like Adams, who is much better known for his defensive prowess than his attacking contributions.
The Bournemouth midfielder, though, has been contributing more on that attacking end. He provided an assist in a win over Nottingham Forest, although, admittedly, that one was a bit lucky. He scored a goal against Manchester City to open November, netting his first Premier League goal of the season, and then, of course, scored that stunner against Sunderland.
This season, Adams is proving that he's more than just a midfield bulldog as he continues to show the world that he can make things happen with the ball at his feet, too.
Getty Images3Christian Pulisic
He'd almost certainly be higher on this list of injuries didn't limit him for a while, but Pulisic also seems eager to make up for lost time.
With his recent game-winning goal agaisnt Inter, Pulisic scored in his first start in six weeks, continuing the good form he showed throughout the early Serie A season. With that goal, he now has five goals and two assists in just 422 minutes played, a fantastic haul for a player that, throughout the campaign, has sure looked like world-class winger for AC Milan.
The challenge, as it has been, will be keeping Pulisic fit and firing. If he can stay on the field, Milan will be a much, much better team.
AFP2Ricardo Pepi
It’s kind of crazy to have a player this high on the list when he isn’t even starting for his own team. But you can’t really hold that against Ricardo Pepi – he’s been that good.
Over the last month and a half, Pepi has scored against Napoli, Fortuna Sittard, Olympiacos, and FC Volendam. He added assists against Napoli and Volendam, and essentially created another when he sparked a goal against Liverpool. And yet, in that span, he’s started just once, with PSV unwilling to change a winning formula despite his consistent impact off the bench.
So we’re back to the familiar question: just how good could Pepi be if he finally gets a proper run of games as guy for PSV?
