American soccer players in Germany: The 2026/27 edition
A healthy number of American nationals are currently on the books of soccer teams in Germany, including USMNT regulars Malik Tillman and Joe Scally, plus talented youngsters like Cole Campbell and Mathis Albert. Find out how they are faring during the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign...
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Midfield
Age: 24 (born May 28, 2002)
Games played: 5
Starts: 2
Last season:
A Bayern Munich academy graduate, Tillman scored six goals in 29 appearances over the course of his first Bundesliga season at Leverkusen, before representing his country at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Last matchday:
Tillman came off the bench in the 73rd minute of Leverkusen's 2-1 home win over Freiburg on Matchday 6.
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Position: Full-back
Age: 23 (born December 31, 2002)
Games played: 6
Starts: 5
Last season:
Scally has been a regular at Gladbach for several seasons now and was a virtual ever-present during the 2025/26 campaign. The US World Cup representative registered two goals and three assists in 32 matches.
Last matchday:
Scally, included in the starting line-up again, played every minute of the Foals' 2-1 home defeat by Hoffenheim.
Cole Campbell
Club: Elversberg
Position: Forward
Age: 20 (born February 20, 2006)
Games played: 5
Starts: 4
Last season:
After being loaned out by Borussia Dortmund for the second half of the season, Campbell made five substitute appearances for Hoffenheim in an injury-riddled spell. The young forward also played once for the BVB first team earlier in the campaign.
Last matchday:
Campbell missed out due to an ankle injury as Elversberg got back to winning ways in an action-packed encounter with Augsburg.
Noahkai Banks
Club: Augsburg
Position: Defender
Age: 19 (born December 1, 2006)
Games played: 4
Starts: 4
Last season:
Honolulu-born Banks enjoyed a breakout 2025/26. He was a regular in defence between Matchdays 6-25, but fell out of starting favour towards the end of the season.
Last matchday:
Banks did not play any part of Augsburg's 4-3 loss at Elversberg due to a knee injury.
Santiago Castaneda
Club: Paderborn
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21 (born November 13, 2004)
Games played: 6
Starts: 6
Last season:
Castaneda was an integral part of Paderborn's promotion push last term, making 31 total appearances in Bundesliga 2 in 2025/26, before playing every minute across both legs of Paderborn's play-off victory over Wolfsburg.
Last matchday:
Castaneda played the full 90 minutes at Werder Bremen on Matchday 6 as his club secured a creditable 2-2 draw.
Lennard Maloney
Club: Mainz
Position: Midfielder
Age: 27 (born October 8, 1999)
Games played: 4
Starts: 0
Last season:
Maloney was largely used as a second-half substitute in 2025/26, a role he played as Mainz confirmed his former team Heidenheim's relegation to the second tier on Matchday 34.
Last Matchday:
Maloney made a cameo appearance off the bench in the 90th minute of Mainz's 1-0 victory at Schalke.
Mathis Albert
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Forward
Age: 17 (born May 21, 2009)
Games played: 1
Starts: 0
Last season:
Aged 16, Albert made his Bundesliga debut last season - a two-minute cameo in the 4-0 victory over Freiburg on Matchday 31. The youngster has been tipped to appear more frequently for Die Schwarzgelben this term.
Last Matchday:
Albert made his first Bundesliga appearance of the season on Matchday 6, coming off the bench in the 70th minute of the Black & Yellows' frustrating 0-0 stalemate with Union Berlin.
Timothy Chandler
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Full-back
Age: 36 (born March 29, 1990)
Games played: 2
Starts: 0
Last season:
Chandler made a late cameo on Matchday 34 of his 12th season with Frankfurt. The veteran full-back has made 200 appearances for the club.
Last matchday:
Chandler remained on the bench throughout Frankfurt's 1-0 victory versus Cologne.
Montrell Culbreath
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Right winger
Age: 19 (born August 29, 2007)
Games played: 0
Starts: 0
Last season:
A German-American dual national, Culbreath started nine of Leverkusen's last 11 league games of the season. The teenager famously scored a debut goal in Leipzig just before Christmas.
Last matchday:
Culbreath was once again unavailable for Leverkusen in their comeback win over Freiburg as the youngster continues to nurse a foot injury.
Americans in Bundesliga 2
Jonathan Gómez (VfL Osnabrück)
John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel)
Grayson Dettoni (Darmstadt)
Isaiah Young (Arminia Bielefeld)
Ryan Malone (Energie Cottbus)
