The league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League is in the books.
A total of seven American players featured in Wednesday’s Matchday 8, with all but four sealing their places into the knockout stage. Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie, and Johnny Cardoso are among the U.S. men’s national team players heading into the playoff round, which will take officially begin between February 17-18.
Yunus Musah, Folarin Balogun, and Josh Wynder rounded out the six players that will remain in this season’s competition. Tim Weah, Sergino Dest, and Ricardo Pepi all suffered UCL elimination while Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt entered the day already eliminated.
Tillman scored twice and played 90 minutes in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-0 home victory over Villarreal, sealing the Bundesliga club’s spot into the two-legged playoff round. His first goal came in the 12th minute after Tillman’s pressure on Villarreal goalkeeper Arnau Tenas led to a deflection that fell into an empty net.
Tillman would double his tally and register his first club brace since May 14, 2025 after scoring his second goal of the first half. Patrik Schick’s layoff pass was finished off by Tillman for his fifth goal of the season in all competitions.
Alejandro Grimaldo added an insurance goal for Kasper Hjulmand’s squad, who finished 16th in the standings.
McKennie and Balogun squared off at the Stade Louis II, with both players logging 90 minutes apiece in a 0-0 draw. Juventus finished 13th in the table following the result while Monaco finished 21st.
Cardoso played 26 minutes off of the bench in Atletico Madrid’s shocking 2-1 home loss to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt. Diego Simeone’s squad finished 14th in the standings, settling for a playoff round spot.
Musah started and played 52 minutes in Atalanta’s 1-0 road loss to Belgian club Union St. Gilloise. The Serie A club had to settle for 15th in the table, joining fellow Italian clubs Inter Milan and Juventus in the playoff round.
Wynder remained sidelined through injury but could return to Benfica during the playoff round.
Weah played the full 90 minutes in Marseille’s 3-0 road loss to Club Brugge, a result that led to the Ligue 1 side’s elimination from the competition. Benfica’s dramatic 4-2 victory over Real Madrid also led to Marseille’s elimination after Jose Mourinho’s men scored a late insurance goal to edge Marseille on goal difference.
Dest and PSV suffered elimination after losing 2-1 at home to Bayern Munich. Dest played the full 90 minutes at right back while Ricardo Pepi remained sidelined through injury.
The Champions League playoff round draw is slated for Friday where teams will be paired up in eight two-legged series.
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