The 2025-26 season in Europe and elsewhere around the globe is right around the corner, with the lower divisions in England kicking off their seasons this weekend before other leagues ramp up over the course of August.

This year will see a large contingent of former USL Championship and League One players featuring overseas, with the growing visibility of both leagues creating the opportunity for more transfers across the Atlantic and beyond.

Here are 13 former USL Championship and League One players who’ll be aiming to make their marks over the course of the new campaign.

Joshua Wynder – SL Benfica

Everything points toward this being Josh Wynder’s breakthrough season for Portuguese giant Benfica. The 20-year-old former Louisville City star is coming off a stellar season in Portugal’s second tier for Benfica B, where he recorded four goals in 31 appearances as the side finished fourth in the standings.

This summer, the United States U-20 international was rostered for Benfica during the FIFA Club World Cup. He’s since remained with the First Team during its preseason camp. While there will likely still be minutes to be had with the “B” team to continue his progression, after Wynder’s First Team debut in the Portuguese Cup last April there’s the potential for his top-flight debut to come sooner rather than later.

Milan Iloski – FC Nordsjaelland

After a loan stint in Major League Soccer with San Diego FC that saw him go supernova for the first-year club, 2022 USL Championship Golden Boot winner Milan Iloski has returned to Sweden’s FC Nordsjaelland looking to make his mark for the club.

The former Orange County SC star recorded 10 goals in 471 minutes for San Diego, including a four-goal outing against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on June 25, for an absurd 1.91 goals/90 minutes strike rate. Having recorded two goals in 314 minutes for Nordsjaelland in the past campaign, the 26-year-old will be aiming to break through as a regular starter this season.

Korede Osundina – Casa Pia AC

Another of Orange County SC’s alumni now starring in the top flight of European soccer, Korede Osundina will kick off his first full season with Portuguese club Casa Pia AC this fall having made a positive first impression since his transfer from Feyenoord at the end of January.

The 21-year-old forward made seven appearances for Casa Pia, including a pair of starts, having previously featured on loan with FC Dordrecht in the Netherlands’ second tier over the first half of the season. Osundina recorded six goals in 1,565 minutes for Dordrecht prior to his transfer. Now he’ll be aiming to break through for a side that finished ninth in the Primeira Liga last season.

Nick Markanich – C.D. Castellón

The 2024 USL Championship Player of the Year got his feet wet with C.D. Castellón after his winter move last season to the La Liga 2 club, but provided some key moments as the side ensured it would remain in the second tier after promotion the prior season with two goals in 423 minutes of action.

The former Charleston Battery star has been active so far this preseason, scoring twice in the club’s 6-0 preseason victory against EFL Championship side Queen’s Park Rangers. Markanich will now be aiming to earn regular opportunities for a side that has big aspirations for the new season.

Jonathan Gomez – Albacete

Following an injury-hit season after his arrival at PAOK in the Greek Super League last season, Jonathan Gomez has headed on loan to Albacete in La Liga 2 this summer aiming to bounce back to his best at a level he’s previously achieved success at.

The 2021 USL Championship Young Player of the Year at Louisville City, Gomez spent a season-and-a-half in La Liga 2 upon his arrival at La Liga’s Real Sociedad, first for the club’s reserve team and then on loan to CD Mirandes. Gomez recorded 52 appearances and recorded one goal and four assists from his left back position. He’ll be hoping to get that level of opportunity for a side aiming to improve on a 10th-place finish last season.

Jose Gallegos – Botev Vratsa

Having helped SønderjyskE earn promotion to the Danish Superliga in the 2023-24 season, former San Antonio FC star Jose Gallegos saw reduced time at the club as it preserved its place in the top flight upon its return. The 23-year-old logged 452 minutes and recorded one goal in 15 appearances as he wrapped up his fourth season with the club after his transfer from San Antonio.

Gallegos will get a new opportunity this season having transferred to Bulgarian First Division side Botev Vratsa, which preserved its top-flight status in a playoff at the end of last season after finishing 14th in the league. Gallegos will be hoping to make a positive impact to push the side further up the standings as he gets acclimated to his new surroundings.

Wilson Harris – Maccabi Netanya

While former club Maccabi Petach Tikva was unable to survive relegation out of the Israeli Premier League at the end of last season, Wilson Harris’ pedigree as a goalscorer remained as he made the move across the Atlantic Ocean from Louisville City FC. The 25-year-old recorded five goals in 1,029 minutes for the club, earning Team of the Week honors once as he became a regular in the club’s starting lineup.

That’s resulted in a move this summer to Maccabi Netanya, which finished in sixth place while competing in the Championship segment after the league’s midseason split. Harris has always shown his ability to find ways to score, now he could feature for a side that has a chance at qualifying for European competition over the course of the current campaign.

Junior Flemmings – Ajman

After previously competing in Europe since his transfer from Birmingham Legion FC to current Ligue 1 club Toulouse FC in 2022, Junior Flemmings headed to the United Arab Emirates last season and proved a key figure for Ajman. The Jamaican international recorded 10 goals in 23 appearances for the side, accounting for one-quarter of the club’s tallies as it finished in 10th place in the league standings.

The 2020 USL Championship Golden Boot winner at Phoenix Rising, Flemmings has now recorded consecutive double-digit scoring seasons after a strong 2023-24 campaign in Serbia for FK Voždovac on loan from Toulouse. The 29-year-old will be looking for more as he returns for his second season at Ajman.

Fidel Barajas – Atletico San Luis

Having made his Liga MX debut for Chivas de Guadalajara last July, Fidel Barajas has been trying to achieve the next step in his career since his transfer from Real Salt Lake. The 2023 USL Young Player of the Year with the Charleston Battery, Barajas spent time on loan with D.C. United this spring, making five appearances across all competitions, but has now returned to Mexico to head on loan with Atletico San Luis.

The 19-year-old has yet to make his debut for Atletico, which finished 15th in the Clausura this spring, but will be aiming to get into the action to make a bid for representing Mexico at the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile this September.

Jesse Randall – Auckland FC

The former Charleston Battery forward was part of one of the best stories in world soccer over the past 12 months as he returned to New Zealand to be part of Auckland FC’s inaugural season in the A-League. The 22-year-old recorded three goals and one assist in 636 minutes as the Black Knights won the regular season Premiership by five points.

Randall has already been in the goals as the side kicked off its Australian Cup campaign in the Round of 32, scoring the opening goal in a 4-0 victory against lower-division opponents the Gold Coast Knights. He’ll aim to build on that when the new A-League season kicks off this October.

Nick Akoto – Burton Albion

After his move from South Georgia Tormenta FC, last year, Nick Akoto was a regular for Burton Albion over the first half of the season, making 16 appearances and logging 763 minutes for the club across all competitions. Then the injury bug hit, ruling the 26-year-old out of the remainder of the season as the Brewers managed to remain in EFL League One by a solitary point.

Akoto has returned to action this preseason for Burton, making a pair of substitute appearances in their most recent preparations for the new campaign. Hopefully it will be a prelude to a new campaign that allows the right-sided defender to help the Brewers avoid another great escape late in the season.

Kyle Scott – Crawley Town FC

Among English lower-division clubs, Crawley Town has become renowned for looking across the Atlantic Ocean for potential talent. It did so when it acquired Jeremy Kelly early in 2023 before the current Charleston Battery midfielder helped the side to promotion and earned the Crawley Observer Player of the Year for the past campaign prior to joining the Battery.

The latest player to make the jump is Kyle Scott, who was acquired this summer by the Red Devils from Orange County SC. Scott joins former Louisville City and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC forward Tola Showumni – who recorded four goals and one assist across all competitions last season – with Crawley as the club looks to rebound back into EFL League One this season. 

Jordan Doherty – Raith Rovers FC

Making the move to Scotland to reunite with his former manager at the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Neill Collins, defender Jordan Doherty became an integral part of Raith Rovers’ lineup over the second half of the campaign as the side narrowly missed out on a place in the promotion playoffs.

Doherty is set for his first full season with Rovers this year having recorded one assist in 1,575 minutes across 18 appearances in the last campaign. He’ll be part of a squad aiming to take Raith back to the Scottish Premiership for the first time since their relegation following the 1996–97 season.