Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun are locks but big calls loom for Mauricio Pochettino: USMNT 2026 World Cup roster projection

With the World Cup just weeks away, GOAL looks at how the U.S. squad might look in the summer.

The next time the U.S. Men's National Team take the field, the big decisions will have been made. We're at that part of the cycle now. The time for fighting is just about over; the time for deciding is right there in front of us.

March's losses to Belgium and Portugal will make a few of those decisions easier for Mauricio Pochettino. Instead of really solidifying a core group, these matches really provided more questions than answers. Few really claimed spots and, in truth, it's hard to say anyone really went out there and lost one.

Pochettino alluded to that fact in his post-game press conference after falling to Portugal as he revealed how many players he's truly considering for that final squad.

"[Thirty-five] yes, but maybe a few more," he said. "It's going to be painful because, in that process, you create links emotionally. It's going to be difficult to pick 26 from 35 or 40 players."

So, when the big decisions do come in the summer, what will they look like? Who could be in the USMNT World Cup squad? GOAL takes a look at where the U.S. stands as of April...

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GOALKEEPERS
GOAL's picks: Matt Freese, Matt Turner, Chris Brady
In the mix: Patrick Schulte, Jonathan Klinsmann, Roman Celentano,
Turner was given his chance to really push for the No. 1 spot. It didn't quite go to plan. He was hardly to blame for the five goals shipped to Belgium, but five did go by him nonetheless. No matter what way you look at that, it won't help his case.
That means Freese is the odds-on favorite to be the guy this summer. He's done nothing to really put that into doubt since taking over the job last summer, particularly with his performance against Portugal. There are still questions about him, of course, and his ability to win you a game, not just not lose one. We'll find out those answers this summer.
As for the third spot, it's a toss-up. Does it go to the slightly younger option in Brady? The slightly older one in Schulte? Celentano, maybe, who was supposed to be in the March camp but was forced out? That's up to Pochettino and his staff, and it'll be based largely on intangibles that are seen on the training field, not in game situations.

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DEFENDERS
GOAL's picks: Max Arfsten, Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Auston Trusty
In the mix: Noahkai Banks, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Joe Scally, John Tolkin, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman
Is Banks coming or not? Only he knows at this point, but his decision surely changes the calculus of this group. If he's in, he might just start. Either way, though, centerback remains something of a question mark.
Out of that group, Trusty boosted his case most this March with a very solid performance against Portugal. The Celtic defender is used to high-pressure games on the club level, and he showed it against both Uruguay and Portugal to really establish himself in the cycle's final few months. If Trusty's in, though, someone has to drop out. That might just be Miles Robinson, who was struck by the ultimate case of bad luck to miss this camp with an injury.
Fullbacks are slightly clearer. Antonee Robinson is starting on the left, while the right has Dest, Freeman, and Tim Weah (who we'll get to later) as options. Arfsten, meanwhile, is the left-sided backup, but his spot seems more shaky than before, particularly if Weah is seen as cover on either side. That would open up a space somewhere else on the field, which Pochettino could certainly want to do.
Of those fighting for spots, Scally is the most interesting, as he would theoretically provide depth as both a central defender and a fullback.
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MIDFIELDERS
GOAL's picks: Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso, Weston McKennie,Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann, Malik Tillman
In the mix: Jack McGlynn, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna
No one helped themselves in this most recent camp more than Cardoso. Did he set the world alight in his 45 minutes? No, but he looked solid, which is a huge step for him. Given his form against Atletico Madrid, he's a much safer bet than he was before.
Obviously, there's one huge name left off in this projection: Reyna. He was given so few minutes this camp and, if he continues to be left out on the club level, there's just so little to justify his inclusion, particularly as someone who would effectively be fourth or fifth choice in his position.
The fight to partner with Adams continues. Tessmann didn't quite seize the role, while Cardoso still has a point to prove. Berhalter and Roldan, meanwhile, provide valuable depth and have shown they can play at a level higher than some give them credit for.

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FORWARDS
GOAL's picks: Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun, Diego Luna, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright
In the mix: Josh Sargent, Brian White, Alejandro Zendejas
Balogun, Pulisic, and Weah are locked in. Everything after that is a little bit of a mystery.
Agyemang, Pepi, and Wright might be competing for two more spots. They might be competing for three more, too. Wright can play as a winger, while Pochettino did show off some two-striker systems in this break, which means he's at least considering that as a possibility to pivot into should a game call for it.
The one person on this list to really watch: Luna. With Pulisic, McKennie, and Tillman entrenched as attacking midfielders, Weah's versatility and Aaronson's Premier League form mean that spots are crowded for the non-strikers. Could Luna see himself fall out of the picture at the last moment? A run of poor MLS form would make it possible, although the flip side is certainly true as well.

GOALKEEPERS

DEFENDERS

MIDFIELDERS

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