The 2026 World Cup changed the market for several U.S. men’s national team players. Strong performances on the biggest stage helped open doors across Europe, while others used the summer to secure fresh opportunities after productive domestic seasons. From MLS exits to moves inside Europe’s top leagues, the window produced a mix of progress, promise and one Deadline Day saga that never quite became a transfer.

Sebastian Berhalter was among the clearest beneficiaries. He was not a regular starter under Pochettino this summer, but he still logged five World Cup appearances, finishing with a goal and an assist. That followed a career-best 21 goal contributions for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025, and he backed it up again in 2026 with seven goals and four assists in 18 matches. Middlesbrough moved quickly, paying $2 million in July for the midfielder’s signature. The switch to England’s second tier gives him a major step up from MLS and a possible pathway toward the Premier League.

Gio Reyna needed a reset, and he got one. After managing only 20 appearances for Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2025-26, he went to the World Cup and delivered five appearances, capped by a standout goal against Paraguay. That was enough for Strasbourg to hand him a five-year deal. Reyna has already shown encouraging signs, setting up the only goal in a preseason match against Newcastle United before making his Ligue 1 debut off the bench. He then earned a start against Lens and helped Strasbourg take three points. For a player who needs rhythm, that kind of continuity matters.

Zavier Gozo’s move carried a different kind of weight. The 19-year-old left Real Salt Lake for Crystal Palace on a five-year contract, scored for the club’s U-21s against Arsenal’s youth side, and then made his Premier League debut six days later in a 4-1 loss to Manchester City. The numbers were modest, but the age profile and upside remain obvious.

Folarin Balogun did not move in the end, but his Deadline Day story was impossible to ignore. A permanent switch from Monaco to Everton fell apart after a failed medical, a brief pivot toward Joshua Zirkzee, renewed contact over Balogun, and Monaco pulling back from a separate sale involving Lamine Camara. In the end, Balogun stayed put.

Real Salt Lake are being linked with a move for Georginio Wijnaldum, one of the standout figures from Liverpool’s recent peak years. The former Premier League midfielder is now 35 and available on a free transfer after his spell with Al-Ettifaq ended this summer.

Wijnaldum’s name remains closely tied to Liverpool’s most successful modern era. Across 237 appearances for the club, he delivered 22 goals and 16 assists, helping drive the side to major achievements under manager Jurgen Klopp, including the 2019 UEFA Champions League title and the 2020 English Premier League victory.

Before arriving at Anfield, he built his career with Feyenoord and PSV, then moved on to Newcastle United, which paved the way for his switch to Liverpool. After leaving Merseyside, he continued his career with Paris Saint-Germain and AS Roma before moving to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023.

His international record is equally notable. Wijnaldum has scored 28 goals in 96 appearances for the Netherlands and played an important role in the team’s third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He scored in the 3–0 third-place win over the hosts after the Netherlands had lost to Argentina in the semifinal. He was not included in the 2026 World Cup squad.

A move to Real Salt Lake would place him among a growing list of former European names arriving in MLS. The article also points to Thomas Müller of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris of LAFC, and Marco Reus and Sergi Roberto of the L.A. Galaxy.

Real Salt Lake have already been active this summer, and a Wijnaldum arrival would help offset some of the departures and keep the club competitive in a stronger Western Conference. Among those losses was winger Zavier Gozo, who joined Crystal Palace for nearly $15 million. There is also continued interest in Diego Luna, despite his dip in form and absence from the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster.

Paul Pogba is facing another uncertain stage in a career that has moved from promise to upheaval. Monaco are reportedly considering ending his contract after a 2025-26 season in which he made only six appearances, leaving the 33-year-old once again in limbo eight years after his World Cup triumph with France.

For much of the 2010s, Pogba stood among the most influential midfielders in the game. He projected the swagger of a modern football celebrity and combined power, precision and grace in a way that made him one of the era’s defining players. Yet the closing years of his career have been marked by inconsistency, fitness problems and a suspension that removed him from action for an extended period.

Manchester United first signed him from Le Havre in 2009, a move that sparked controversy when the French club accused the English side of “stealing” their prized asset unlawfully. The transfer was eventually approved by a FIFA-appointed judge. His first spell at Old Trafford was brief, bringing only seven first-team appearances before he left for Juventus on a free transfer in 2012 after a public dispute with Alex Ferguson, with both men accusing the other of “disrespect.”

Juventus was where Pogba reached his peak. In his debut season he made 37 appearances and scored five times, then built on that with 18 goal involvements in 2013-14 and a second successive Serie A title. Across the next two campaigns, he produced 20 goals and 22 assists, while also helping Juventus reach the 2014-15 Champions League final.

United later paid a then record £89.3 million in August 2016 to bring him back. His first season in Manchester delivered nine goals and six assists and ended with Europa League and EFL Cup success. The next year brought 18 goal involvements, but his relationship with José Mourinho deteriorated, before Ole Gunnar Solskjær later helped him rediscover form and finish with 16 Premier League goal contributions after the managerial change.

A failed drugs test in September 2023 led to an 18-month ban, and Juventus had torn up his contract by early 2025. Monaco then took a chance on him in June 2025, but injuries again restricted his involvement. He is now sidelined by a hamstring injury suffered in preseason, and another move, possibly away from Europe, appears likely if his contract is terminated.