USMNT hopeful Tanner Tessmann scores sensational Europa League goal

A day after turning 24, Tanner Tessmann celebrated by scoring his first European goal in sensational fashion.

Tessmann’s blast from outside the box lifted Lyon to a 1-0 road result at FC Utrecht in the club’s UEFA Europa League opener on Thursday, and it marked the second straight match in all competitions with a goal for the U.S. men’s national team hopeful, who is eyeing a spot on Mauricio Pochettino’s October roster.

Tessmann, who has not appeared for the U.S. since its dismal performance in March’s Concacaf Nations League final four, continued his strong run of form for his French club on the heels of a Ligue 1 goal vs. Angers in his last outing. Thursday, he was the trailer and recipient of a rather accidental layoff from Rachid Ghezzal and laced a right-footed blast from 20 yards in the 75th minute to account for the scoring, before lifting a finger to his mouth to silence the home crowd. He had just come on 10 minutes prior, beginning the match on the bench before making his mark.

TANNER TESSMANN’S FIRST-EVER EUROPEAN GOAL IS A BANGER FOR LYON FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX 🇺🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/yvVSRbgHyy

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 25, 2025

Tessmann, who came up through the FC Dallas system, is in his second season with Lyon after a run with Venezia. The captain for the U.S.’s Olympic team last year, he’s competing in a crowded psection of the U.S. player pool, with the likes of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Johnny Cardoso, Yunus Musah and others also vying for places in Pochettino’s central midfield. Six of his eight caps with the senior U.S. team have come since Pochettino took charge last fall, but he was omitted for this past summer’s Gold Cup despite being available for selection.

The U.S. will play against Ecuador and Australia next month in a pair of World Cup tune-ups against teams who have already booked their places for next summer’s showpiece event, with Pochettino’s squad expected to be revealed next week.

(Top photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images)