TAMPA, Fla. – A remarkable 18 current and former USL players will compete on the international stage this week in 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying across four federations and international exhibitions.

The number adds to the players who competed this summer at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where four USL players helped Jamaica reach the tournament’s final for a second consecutive occasion. More than 20 other players have also competed for their respective national teams while competing in the USL since the start of the 2015 season.

Sacramento Republic FC’s Emrah Klimenta was named in Montenegro’s squad for a pair of key games in UEFA World Cup Qualifying, having appeared in his country’s last World Cup Qualifier against Armenia in June. Montenegro currently sits second in Group E – good enough to earn a playoff place in November to try and qualify for next year’s finals. Montenegro takes on Kazakhstan on the road on Sept. 1 and Romania at home on Sept. 4, with the game against Romania to be aired live on ESPN3 at 2:45 p.m. ET.