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In an unprecedented season for American players abroad, there will be an equally unrivalled number of Americans in the rosters of teams in the Champions League.
The United States have a record representation in this year's edition of the UEFA Champions League, with 10 USMNT (US Men's National Team) players being named in the club 25-member squads for the group stage of Europe's biggest showpiece event for the first time.
The American representation is extended to the dugout too, with American manager Jesse Marsch being at the helm of Austrian top-flight side RB Salzburg. The Yankee steered 'Die Bullen' to Champions League qualification after sealing a double in domestic competition.
All the 10 players are under the age of 26 and will have different roles to play for their teams in the Champions League. Some players are more likely to feature than others. Still, being on these rosters puts them an injury, suspension or managerial decision away from starting in the coveted competition.
Without further ado, here are the ten American players who will take part in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Zack Steffen (Man City)
Zack Steffen has been promoted by Pep Guardiola to Manchester City's first team as the second-choice goalkeeper after Claudio Bravo's contract expired.
The backup keeper recently made his debut for the Cityzens against Bournemouth in the League Cup though it needs to be seen how he gets in City's matchday eleven in the Champions League.
Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge)
Ethan Horvath has started once in this year's Champions League due to first-choice keeper Simon Mignolet testing positive for COVID-19.
The former Molde shot-stopper has played in 3 UCL matches before, posting a trio of consecutive cleansheets against AS Monaco, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid in the 2018 Champions League group stage while notching up eleven total saves.
Chris Richards (Bayern Munich)
Twenty-year-old Chris Richards has been tipped as the long term successor to Jerome Boateng at Bavaria. The American starlet was a key figure in Bayern's reserve sides and recently made his first start for the German giants against Hertha Berlin, providing an assist for Robert Lewandowski in the 51st minute.
Alex Mendez (Ajax)
American youth international midfielder Alex Mendez has been promoted to Dutch powerhouse Ajax's Champions League roster following his consistent displays for Jong Ajax. The LA Galaxy youth product has had a slow start to life at Amsterdam but is expected to thrive in Ajax's attacking system and earn a first team place in the near future.
Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona)
La Masia starlet Konrad de la Fuente has already caught the attention of Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman with his impressive displays down the flanks in the youth team. The speedy winger became the first American to play for the Catalans' senior team when Koeman brought him on in the second half in a pre-season friendly against Gimnastic Tarragona.
Sergiño Dest (Barcelona)
On October 20, Sergino Dest became the first US player to appear for Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League match.
The highly-rated right-back has dazzled since his £23 million move from Ajax and has cemented a starting position with his stellar display in the recent El Clasico, amid being on the losing side. The American international will have a big part to play in Barca's progression to the latter stages of the Champions League.
Weston McKennie (Juventus)
Weston McKennie became the first American player in the Juventus ranks since his loan arrival from Schalke in the tail end of August.
The 22-year-old made his Champions League debut coming on from the bench in the 75th minute in the Old Lady's 2-0 home defeat to Barca. Capable of playing a multitude of positions in the midfield, the US International is soon expected to be a trusted starter at Turin.
Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig)
New York Red Bulls' homegrown Tyler Adams made a grand entrance to UCL last season, netting the winner against Atletico Madrid to take RB Leipzig to the semifinals of the coveted competition for the first time in their history.
The midfielder will have to come up with similar performances this year if Leipzig are to qualify for the round of 16 from the group of death consisting of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Istanbul Basaksehir.
Gio Reyna (Dortmund)
The supremely gifted attacking midfielder Gio Reyna remains uncapped at the senior level for his national team but has pinned down a starting spot at Signal Iduna Park, following his three-assist performance against SC Freiburg last month.
The midfield sensation is already the greenest American to appear and register an assist in the Champions League. The 17-year-old is touted to break the record set by fellow countrymen Christian Pulisic for the youngest American to score a CL goal this season.
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
USMNT's prolific winger Christian Pulisic is the most experienced American of the bunch, raking up a total of 26 appearances in the UCL.
Despite being hampered by injuries, Pulisic's first season in England was nothing short of excellent. He recorded ten goals and created another ten in all competitions. The 22-year-old came off the bench to strike a 90th minute goal for the Blues in a 4-0 away win against Krasnodar.
