Tim Ream and Matt Turner out? Projecting USMNT's 2026 World Cup starting XI after Copa America failure

We're starting off by going very, very bold.

Matt Turner is still a solid No. 1, but his future is very much up in the air due to his club situation. There's a real chance he makes a move, figures it out and retains his starting spot, but there's also a chance he gets leapfrogged by a rising new generation.

Slonina is widely seen as the goalkeeper of the future for the U.S. He had his first year of European soccer while on loan at Eupen this season, which gives him a good foundation to build upon back at Chelsea (whenever that time comes). He'll only be 22 by the time the World Cup rolls around but, hey, if you're good enough, you're old enough.

Another contender to watch here: Patrick Schulte. The Columbus Crew shot-stopper is a rising star that could be at the very highest level in two years.

He was arguably the Premier League's best left-back this season and, at just 26 now, he'll be in his prime by the time the World Cup rolls around.

It's extremely hard to see anyone taking Robinson's spot over the next two years, although there are a group of talented young left-backs on the rise. John Tolkin, Caleb Wiley and Kevin Peredes are all up and coming, but catching Robinson in just two years will be difficult.

Look for the Fulham star to be the man again in 2026, although he may have moved on from Craven Cottage by then.

Tim Ream won't be holding down this spot in 2026, right? Right?!?

You can't totally write off the ageless wonder but this summer did serve as a reminder that Father Time is undefeated. At times, Ream lacked the pace needed to compete and, to be fair, it's well past time for the U.S. to find some sort of answer at centerback.

So who takes the spot? Cameron Carter-Vickers is among the contenders and is perhaps the favorite. The Celtic defender brings a presence to the backline, although he was a bit too reckless during his performance against Panama in the Copa.

As for other contenders, Miles Robinson, Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie are in the mix, as are youngsters like Jalen Neal or Josh Wynder.

The Crystal Palace centerback has locked down his spot, so there's really no debating to be done here. Just 24 now, he should only get better on the road to the World Cup.

He'll need to. Richards struggled a bit this summer and never quite took command of the U.S. backline. Another year of Premier League games with Palace should be helpful, though, as Richards looks to take a big leap forward.

Start here: his absence was deeply felt at Copa America.

Without the injured Dest, the U.S. was missing a legitimate chance creator, which was repeatedly problematic. We knew it before but it's even more apparent now: Dest is crucial to how this team plays. When healthy, the PSV man is still the guy.

Joe Scally does deserve a special shoutout, though. He improved his stock this summer and should provide competition to Dest when he does get back. Scally hadn't quite stepped into the international game prior to the Copa, but he definitely has now.

How much would a fully-fit Adams have helped this U.S. team? It was clear from the start that the midfielder wasn't close to 100 percent, but he still battled throughout his time on the field over three games at Copa America.

When healthy, there isn't a better No. 6 in this pool than Adams, and there probably isn't a better leader, either. Because of that, he should retain his spot, although the midfield picture does look set to expand in the coming years.

This summer, this was Weston McKennie's spot. But if he continues on his current trajectory, Musah could seize it going forward.

Musah's potential is just so high and, as long as he continues to develop in Milan, he has every opportunity to become one of this team's best players. Whether as a No. 6 or as a No. 8, Musah could become one heck of a midfielder.

Could McKennie keep hold of this spot? Could someone like Johnny Cardoso push for it? Certainly, but we'll back Musah.

The experiment has worked. It's crystal clear that this team is better with Reyna in a central role.

Obviously, this all depends on Reyna's club future, which is murky, to say the least. The 21-year-old midfielder has a lot of soul-searching and career planning to do. He can't afford another wasted year like the one he just had at the club level.

Right now, the only thing preventing Reyna from locking down this national team spot is his own club career. If he figures that out, he's all good. If not, a spot opens up for someone such as McKennie or Malik Tillman to jump into the XI.

No need to waste time here naming potential threats to this position. Pulisic is starting, and that's that.

He served as captain this summer and has continued to grow as a leader. His time at Milan is working wonders, which indicates that he can still get even better. The truth is that Pulisic is the one U.S. player that can push to become world-class right now. If he can secure that status by 2026, the U.S. will have a chance.

Predicting strikers is challenging, simply because it's a position that relies so much on form. Right now, it's Balogun's spot to lose.

The Monaco striker was arguably this team's best player this summer, scoring two fantastic goals in Copa America. If there was any doubt about him, that's gone. Balogun is the guy for the foreseeable future.

That can change, of course. Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright, Daryl Dike, Brandon Vazquez and Duncan McGuire will all keep pushing, but none have the elite potential of Balogun, who could become a legitimate star.

He has some work to do, to put it mildly.

Weah's moment of madness was ultimately the big turning point in this team's demise. The red card against Panama It was very out of character and Weah has owned it, but it remains to be seen if, or how, this affects him going forward. Weah is well-liked, so there are no worries about resentment from teammates. But either way, he'll feel he has a point to prove.

On the field, though, he remains this team's most dangerous runner, one that can threaten any backline with his pace. The U.S. missed that against Uruguay, for sure, and it'll be key to the team's hopes all the way through 2026.

This is the big question right now, isn't it? Who will be coaching this team heading into the biggest tournament in this team's history?

Right now, that's one big mystery. Berhalter's future has not been clarified, one way or the other, as U.S. Soccer assesses its options. Whatever the choice is, the federation has to get this right. This is a huge moment that will demand a huge leader.

Is that Berhalter? It seems unlikely. There's no doubt that U.S. Soccer reviewing all potential options right now to ensure the right person in in place to lead this lead this group to a statement summer in 2026.