Shortly after beating Jamaica 4-2 in St. Louis, some of the U.S. men's national team's biggest stars boarded a plane bound for Italy. Tim Weah posted a video on IG story offering a glimpse into that flight. There he sat next to teammate Weston McKennie, who was singing along to music.
In walked Christian Pulisic, who drew a side-eyed glance from McKennie just hours after being assisted by him. Yunus Musah, not recorded, was surely on the plane as well. The ride was surely a fun one after a statement win that included big moments for all four.
For those who follow American soccer, it's easy to forget that what the players on that plane are doing every week is unprecedented. After a match that saw all four contribute to goals in a USMNT shirt, the four jetted straight back to Italy to prepare for one of the biggest games of the weekend in Serie A, one that the eyes of the world will be on. It was surely all laughs on that flight from St. Louis to Europe but, the moment they landed, it all reset. This weekend, it'll be USMNT teammates vs USMNT teammates on the biggest stage Italian soccer can provide.
On one side, the legendary AC Milan, one led by the surging Pulisic and a rising star in Musah. On the other, another Italian heavyweight in Juventus, one that is being lifted by Weah's goals and McKennie's continual fight back into the team's rotation. They are two of the world's biggest clubs and, as they prepare to face off at noon ET Saturday (streamed on Paramount+), there's a very real chance that the Americans on either side will make the difference.
Just a few short years ago, this was unfathomable. Now, as these four prepare to face off once again, it's almost starting to feel commonplace.
"It's amazing. It's a dream come true," Weah said. "You can see the progress in the national team, not only just looking at the four players in Italy, but pretty much everyone's playing in Europe. I think it's that is the only way the sport is going to get bigger here, and we just have to keep leading the way and paving that way for the younger guys."
This weekend isn't about paving the way, though; it's about real stakes. Entering the match, Juventus sit sixth in Serie A, with each of the top six within two points of one another. Milan, meanwhile are seventh, six points behind Juve, but with a game in hand. For Juve, this is about staying in the Scudetto race. For Milan, it's about jumping back into that very same race.
For the Americans involved, there's plenty at stake, too. GOAL takes a look at where each of the USMNT stars stand heading into this major match.