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Mauricio Pochettino will unveil a 26-man U.S. men’s national team roster on Thursday, kicking off the September–October international window that runs from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6. The squad comes together for the first time since the 2026 World Cup on home soil, with four friendlies scheduled against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada.
Why this window matters
This camp is Pochettino’s first real chance to shape the long-term core of the team after signing a contract through the 2030 World Cup. The Argentine coach has framed the next four years as a project, and this slate of matches is the first practical step toward that vision. It will be a testing ground for established pieces and for younger players pushing for long-term roles.
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The starters and roster locks
Pochettino appears set to maintain a midfield spine built around Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. In recent months Adams has anchored the midfield, allowing Tillman and McKennie more license to connect with the attack and the wings. McKennie, at 28, projects to still be a major presence by 2030 should he avoid serious setbacks.
Christian Pulisic also looks likely to remain a fixture despite ongoing inconsistencies and injury history; when he is right, Pulisic can change games. At center back, Chris Richards brings composure and aerial strength that make him a candidate to lead the backline moving forward.
The fringe players
Some veterans may be nearing the end of their international runs. After the World Cup, center back Tim Ream appeared emotional enough to suggest his national team tenure could be finished. He has not announced a retirement, but age and diminished pace were visible this summer.
Similarly, goalkeeper Matt Turner — who served mainly as a backup in the recent tournament cycle — may be phased out as Pochettino opts to develop younger options. And while Folarin Balogun became one of the team’s breakout scorers at the World Cup, his club situation and fitness raise questions about his availability and readiness for this camp.
Balogun’s proposed move to Everton stalled late on Sept. 1 after a failed medical, and although negotiations briefly resumed, he ultimately pulled out of the transfer. He returned to Monaco training last week, but his match fitness and mental state could affect selection.
Newcomers to watch
Pochettino has signaled a desire for a reset. “The headline needs to be a new start, a fresh start,” he said, and two young Philadelphia Union players sit squarely in that conversation.
Sixteen-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan has drawn attention from Manchester City and is producing eye-catching numbers: six goals and five assists since the World Cup break, including nine goal contributions across his last seven matches. His technical command and game reading have accelerated talk of a potential first senior call-up.
Alongside Sullivan, 18-year-old center back Neil Pierre has emerged as a physically dominant presence. At 6’5″, Pierre has become a set-piece threat as well as a defensive mainstay since returning from a loan in Denmark, and he could be eyed as a long-term successor to older central defenders.
What Pochettino says
On the project toward 2030, Pochettino was explicit: “The project is 2030,” he said. “That needs to be our aim … The next camp is going to be an opportunity to bring in players that can be involved in that four-year process with the possibility to arrive to 2030 in the best condition.”
He added that the staff must integrate youth and senior coaching structures to build a professional, competitive group: “We need to create a group of players that [is] professional and compete in the way that we expect that they need to compete. With the talented players and young players that we have ahead, we need to be right and to work with the national team with all the coaches, youth coaches, all the organization of the coaches … to integrate in the best way.”
USMNT projected 2026 fall roster (projected)
| Position | Players (club, caps) |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 1 cap); Matt Freese (New York City FC, 19 caps); Brian Schwake (Nashville SC, 0 caps) |
| Center Backs | Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, 30 caps); Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 40 caps); Auston Trusty (Celtic, 10 caps); Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union, 0 caps) |
| Full Backs | Max Arfsten (Middlesbrough, 21 caps); Peyton Miller (New England Revolution, 0 caps); Alex Freeman (Villarreal, 22 caps); Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 58 caps) |
| Midfielders | Tyler Adams (Bournemouth, 58 caps); Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough, 18 caps); Gio Reyna (Strasbourg, 43 caps); Weston McKennie (Juventus, 71 caps); Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 35 caps); Yunus Musah (AC Milan, 45 caps); Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union, 0 caps) |
| Wingers | Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven, 44 caps); Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, 90 caps); Timothy Weah (Marseille, 53 caps); Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 59 caps) |
| Forwards | Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls, 0 caps); Folarin Balogun (Monaco, 31 caps); Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 42 caps); Josh Sargent (Toronto FC, 29 caps) |
