It's a rare feat for an American to start in a Champions League semifinal—let alone play in both legs. Even rarer? Advancing to the final and stepping onto the pitch for Europe's biggest club match. Johnny Cardoso came agonizingly close to joining that exclusive club, but fell just short on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old USMNT central midfielder came off the bench in the 57th minute for Atlético Madrid in a 1-0 loss at Arsenal. That result gave the Gunners a 2-1 aggregate victory and a ticket to the May 30 final in Budapest against either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain.
Cardoso had started the first leg in Madrid, which ended in a 1-1 draw, but lost his spot in the lineup for the decisive second leg. While his club career has often outshone his time with the U.S. national team, this near-miss still turned heads.
The loss also dashed the hopes of Obed Vargas—a 20-year-old midfielder born in Alaska and a former Seattle Sounders homegrown player who now represents Mexico internationally. Vargas was in uniform for both semifinal legs but did not see the field.
Both players were chasing history: the chance to become the first Americans to reach the Champions League final since Christian Pulisic lifted the trophy with Chelsea in 2021.
To put it in perspective, only three U.S. national team players have ever started a Champions League semifinal: Cardoso, Pulisic, and DaMarcus Beasley (who did so with PSV Eindhoven in 2005). Even fewer have started in the final itself.
Jovan Kirovski appeared in two group-stage matches for Borussia Dortmund in 1996-97 and was on the bench for the semifinal first leg against Manchester United, but didn't dress for the final. In 2012-13, Dortmund's Neven Subotic—who played for the U.S. U-17 World Cup team in 2005—started every minute of 13 Champions League matches before falling to Bayern Munich in the final.
Cardoso may have fallen short of the final, but his performance across both legs has all but locked up a spot in the USMNT's World Cup plans. For a player whose club career has been on the rise, this Champions League run was a statement—and a sign of more big moments to come.