USMNT's Johnny Cardoso helps lift Atlético Madrid into Champions League semifinals despite World Cup uncertainty

Johnny Cardoso might not go to the World Cup this summer, but the U.S. midfielder is still very much in the running for the UEFA Champions League title.

With a late appearance Tuesday, Cardoso helped Atlético Madrid escape 10-man Barcelona’s furious pressure and advance to the semifinals on a 3-2 aggregate score following a 2-1 home loss.

Atleti will face Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon over two legs, starting in two weeks. In the other semifinal, reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain will play Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. The May 30 final will take place in Budapest.

Cardoso — a 24-year-old New Jersey native who was raised in Brazil — will attempt to become the first USMNT player to reach the final of Europe’s premier competition since Christian Pulisic with Chelsea in 2021.

Returning from a leg injury that sidelined him for the first leg, Cardoso entered in the 89th minute and helped reinforce the resistance through eight harrowing minutes of stoppage time. Barcelona finished with 10 men after Eric Garcia’s 79th-minute red card.

Cardoso had not played since March 28, when he departed the U.S. friendly against Belgium at halftime. This is a massive week for him and his club, which on Saturday will tangle with Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final in Seville.

In La Liga, Atleti is 22 points behind first-place Barcelona with seven matches left but sits in the fourth and final slot for 2026-27 Champions League qualification.

In spite of his rising club profile — 12 starts across all competitions since Jan. 1 during what is his first season with the Spanish titans — Cardoso has long struggled to gain traction over 23 U.S. appearances since 2020.

In the fall, an ankle injury ruled him out of possible call-ups to the three training camps. Last summer, he didn’t perform well in friendlies leading to the Concacaf Gold Cup and, after two brief appearances in the group stage, sat out with an ankle ailment.

With five weeks until he announces his 26-man World Cup squad, U.S. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has several options in defensive midfield, including Tyler Adams, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Cristian Roldan. Other midfielders offer enough versatility to step into defensive roles.