USMNT's Paxten Aaronson aims for big role at Eintracht Frankfurt, spot at 2026 FIFA World Cup

CHESTER, Pa. -- The sprint for the World Cup is here, and for members of the United States men's national team, it means that players are ensuring that they're in the best positions possible to make Maurico Pochettino's squad. Midfielder Paxten Aaronson has made it clear that he believes that place is sticking at Eintracht Frankfurt this coming season after a successful loan spell with FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie. Now back with Frankfurt and in the midst of preseason preparation, Aaronson got the chance to have a full circle moment facing a familiar opponent in the Philadelphia Union, his boyhood club.

"I think that if I want to have a chance of getting on that [World Cup squad], I don't think there's any better club to be a part of than here at Eintracht. I think when you look at what they've done business-wise in terms of developing young players, that's one thing that attracted me when I first came to the club," Aaronson said. "How well they've done at developing young guys and the time that they've put in. So I have no doubt that along with the coach and everybody that they're fully on board in terms of development and the things that I need to work on."

This is why the Bundesliga became a regular place for American soccer players to move abroad. The care put into development and ensuring that players are not only getting playing time but also regular pointers on what needs to be done to improve is critical to success, and it's showing with Aaronson. He has now gone on loan twice from the club, but after racking up 12 goals and assists while helping Utrecht qualify for European soccer, the next step in his career would be to step into a team competing in the Champions League.

Luckily, he doesn't have to travel far to accomplish that, with Frankfurt finishing in third place last season in the Bundesliga. They'll be in the League Phase and hope to make noise. Manager Dino Toppenmöller will need all the bodies that he can get in the XI, and that's something that Aaronson will be able to provide due to his versatility on the pitch.

"Paxten is a player who feels very comfortable to be in the center of the game. He has very good game activity, and against Louisville, he was always available. He has a good sense for spaces, he's dangerous, and can score goals," Toppenmöller said. "So there he showed that he's really a box-to-box player."

With Mario Gotze in the squad, the position as a main attacking midfielder may be filled, but it's useful that Aaronson can pop up on the wing, alongside Gotze or taking up deeper positions, creating different ways for Frankfurt to attack teams. Toppenmöller was sure to include that, so while Frankfurt aren't openly saying that they won't be sending Aaronson on loan this coming season, it's clear that they want to see how he's grown from the loan at Utrecht and what he can bring to the squad in the coming season. Getting him into the center of the action, the opportunities will be there for Aaronson to show what he can do, and it'll be up to him to take them.

At only 21 and in the midst of a critical summer, that's a great position for Aaronson to be in, and he's doing what he can to make the most of it. The loan saw him get used to the European lifestyle and develop more versatility as a player. That versatility showed when he came on against the Union as a second number 10 in the second half. Dropping deep to pick up the ball and keeping his head on a swivel, Aaronson seemed comfortable with the pace of the game, which is a sign of growth from the loan. These skills led to a call-up for the Gold Cup under Pochettino, and he's now pushing for more.

"I developed so much and in a lot of different aspects of my game, learning how to play different positions. I think it was a great year for me to develop, and I got to showcase what I could do," Aaronson said.

Frankfurt took notice of that, and it's not just limited to the coaching staff.

"I'm not the coach and I'm not the sports executive, so I look at Paxten in a different way because he's a great character. He's a fantastic player," Frankfurt CEO Axel Hellmann said. "He has great skills, and he made a massive step forward in that year. He's more aggressive in the match against the ball, he's pressing harder. I think it's up to him now to show that he can make it."

As a player, a chance is all that you can ask for, and Frankfurt have been clear on their stance. Things may be different around the squad with Hugo Ekitike now at Liverpool, but that is where players like Aaronson can step up to help move the club forward. If he's able to do that, a spot in the 2026 World Cup squad representing the United States on home soil could be coming in the future.