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Ricardo Pepi is on World Cup duty with the USMNT, putting him in the global shop window, but Kasey Keller has told GOAL why the PSV striker faces a “tricky” decision when it comes to his future and mounting Premier League transfer speculation. The 23-year-old frontman attracted interest from Fulham during the winter, with more approaches from England expected to be made with the summer market of 2026 now open for business.

Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic dominated headlines as the USMNT enjoyed a dream start to their 2026 World Cup campaign, but who are the unsung heroes in Mauricio Pochettino’s team? In conversation with GOAL, former keeper Kasey Keller has picked out three players that have a crucial role to play for the co-hosts at FIFA’s flagship event.

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT opened the World Cup with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, but the manager said the performance was built on more than tactics. He emphasized ambition, internal competition, and belief, while making clear that no player should feel guaranteed a place in his squad in a recent interview.

Mauricio Pochettino says Christian Pulisic's availability for the U.S. Men's National Team's second World Cup match will go right down to the wire as the star winger deals with an injury suffered in the team's tournament-opening win over Paraguay. The USMNT boss said Pulisic will be analyzed by medical staff on Thursday night before a decision is made ahead of Friday's match in Seattle.

With Christian Pulisic's status still up in the air, the USMNT must solve Australia's towering backline, manage the Socceroos' physicality and stay balanced in a crucial World Cup group-stage clash.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is already setting records on and off the pitch. More than 1.5 million fans have attended matches through June 17, while over 54 million viewers tuned in across the United States, Mexico, and Canada to watch the host nations open their campaigns. The tournament has delivered record-breaking crowds, television audiences, and streaming numbers.

The U.S. may be missing a key attacker - could they turn to Reyna to provide the spark needed in the second group stage game?

After wins for each of them in their first game, we’ve got three USA vs Australia predictions as they clash in the World Cup on Friday, 19 June.

The first round of 2026 World Cup group-stage fixtures is in the books, and the tournament has gotten off to a flyer. Despite a lack of eye-catching fixtures on paper in the new, expanded format, there have been thrills and spills aplenty, with all the big names showing up for their respective countries on football's biggest stage. Well, almost all of them.

GOAL takes a look at the big storylines and takeaways in the latest installment of the USMNT notebook.