Scouting Diego Kochen: The 18-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper who has ambitions to be a part of Mauricio Pochettino's 2026 USMNT World Cup squad

Kochen, born in Miami to Peruvian and Venezuelan parents, was always adamant he would be a goalkeeper. The level to which he's climbed? Some can say it's fate, hard work and determination -- but it's also passion, driven by a mindset geared towards victory and triumph.

First scouted by U.S. Soccer in 2017 while playing for Weston at the Prospects Cup, Kochen stood out at the U12 tournament in Kissimmee, Florida featuring global powerhouses and domestic clubs from the region. After a truly standout performance against the LA Galaxy in the competition, he started making waves.

It was a match against Manchester City at the event that changed everything, though.

He led Weston to the final of the competition against the English heavyweights, where they fell 3-0, but his performances truly stood out. So much so, he was interviewed by UNIVISION TV after the match - the broadcasters of the competition.

“So, what’s your future?” Kochen was asked, replying: “We are hoping to get into more tournaments like this, play better, and find ways in order to improve, in order to play against teams like this in finals and win one time.”

“Wow, I’m surprised at your maturity in responding,” the reporter replied.

“I wasn’t paying attention to the badge on the opponents’ jersey. I was only focusing on what was in front of me,” Kochen told Sports Illustrated as well. “But this was a challenge to test ourselves against great competition.”

Despite losing in the final, Kochen was handed the Golden Ball for the competition, being crowned the top goalkeeper of the tournament. The trophy was given to him by the then-19-year-old global ambassador for the event -- Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic.

Fast forward eight years, and the duo are representing the USMNT in camp together.

He's been bound for the top since.

After his heroics at the Prospects Cup with Weston, scouts started turn up more and more to watch Kochen -- including U.S. Soccer. However, his big break came in 2018, when his family took a chance on his footballing career, and his mother's, too.

The Kochen's moved to Barcelona in 2018 after his mother was handed a unique job opportunity with DHL in the Spanish city, and they immediately signed Kochen up with Fundacion Marcet, a football school in the northeast side of the city.

Immediately, he caught an eye of a Barcelona scout, who reportedly contacted two members of the Blaugrana youth academy in Jordi Roura and Aureli Altimira.

“We saw him and knew we had to move fast,” Roura told The Athletic.

“When we took him to Barca to try him out, I said we had to sign him and we had to do it now,” Roura said. “Goalkeepers and central defenders are the two positions where physique is really important — it can be decisive. We look at the parents because nowadays a goalkeeper under six feet tall is already too small. He already had a very good physique at that age.

“Technically, he already had some good traits. Without having worked hard he already had good footwork. I talked to him and he surprised me. He was a very focused kid, serious, hard-working, and eager to learn. And he was so young. There were a lot of factors that made you want to sign him; he was special.”

Kochen then signed for Barca at age 12 in 2019, progressing through the club's ranks immediately. In 2023-24, he began as a part of the Juvenil A U19 team, before beginning to train with Barca Atletic -- and even with the first-team in stints under then-manager Xavi.

"The truth is that I don’t know where and when the Barça scouts noticed me, but it must have been in one of the games I played with Marcet. What I do know is that I was the last one to find out about Barça’s interest, since my parents didn’t tell me until the end. They finally told me at home, right after a training session at Marcet. Obviously, I felt a great joy. I couldn’t believe it! I was speechless for a few minutes. Being part of the best team in the world is like a dream. It is an honor, but also a great responsibility," Kochen told MarcetFootball after completing the move.

Internationally, Kochen received his first call-up to a U.S. youth national team camp in January 2022, where U17 coach Gonzalo Segares called upon him as part of the group to represent the USYNT at the 2023 U17 World Cup. He started five matches for the U.S. in 2022 in the buildup to the tournament, but come the turn of the calendar year, dealt with respective elbow and back injuries that kept him out of the World Cup and the CONCACAF Championships.

Conversations continued, though, and U.S. Soccer never turned a blind eye to the goalkeeper. Through his growth within La Masia in the Blaugrana system, he continued to impress, eventually earning his first senior call-up to the USMNT in September 2024 under interim manager Mikey Varas.

“He’s a young player playing for Barcelona B that we see as a high potential player,” Varas said when the roster for the September camp was announced. “This is an opportunity for him to come in and not only compete with the senior team but also get an amazing experience so that we can keep building for our future.”

Although Kochen has seemingly shown a willingness to pursue an international career with the U.S., he had additional admirers, too. Eligible for both Peru and Venezuela through his parents, he also qualifies as a Spanish national on residency grounds through his Latin American heritage having lived in the country for two years. In normal circumstances, it would require 10 years of residency for consideration.

As a result, 2024 EURO champions Spain have had their eyes on him, too. Francis Hernandez, Spain's national team’s youth coordinator, is reportedly an admirer of Kochen's and is actively keeping tabs on the Barcelona youngster.

Regardless, though, Kochen is on the rise -- and a potential fight for his international allegiance may be on the cards in the near future.

Where Kochen has really made waves within La Masia, is with his feet; a heavily desired trait amongst young goalkeepers within the modern game. Comfortable with back passes, dribbling with the ball forward, and with long-range passes, he's excelled when under pressure while remaining composed on the ball.

With a 6'2' frame as well, the 18-year-old's shot-stopping ability has impressed the Blaugrana camp, too. From close-range attempts to set piece directing, he's become a leader in the box throughout his time at Barcelona, playing in a demanding, yet composed manner. In addition to his shot-stopping ability, Barcelona scouts have spoken about his agility, something that has set him aside from other goalkeepers, too.

Kochen displayed incredible athleticism at different points throughout the Barca academy, making consecutive saves in concession while boasting spectacular reaction time, as well. Within the ranks of the Blaugrana, he's been compared to that of senior goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen, while Flick himself has shared his admiration for the young goalkeeper.

In December, the Spanish club tied him down to a new long-term contract through 2028, showing their faith in him as a potential future successor between the sticks for the club.

Although Kochen has impressed scouts within the Catalan club and U.S. Soccer, there are still areas where he can improve as a goalkeeper. One key aspect is his physical strength. At 176 pounds, Kochen remains a slender teenager and lacks the bulk typically seen in senior-level goalkeepers. While a lean frame can be an asset for many soccer players, Kochen needs to focus on building strength to enhance his overall game.

Physical strength is particularly crucial for professional goalkeepers, who must be commanding in the air and capable of competing against strong, imposing forwards during set pieces and corner kicks.

From a tactical perspective, as a goalkeeper, Kochen just needs to continue honing the traits that make him special. Continue developing footwork as a goalkeeper under pressure, while further bettering agility between the posts and awareness of the 18-yard box. Most importantly, though, he needs to work towards a senior debut at the club level, which could ultimately hand him opportunities on the international stage over the next 11 months.

Already compared to the German shot-stopper, Kochen has embraced those comments, sharing in an interview with Telemundo in the summer of 2024 that he is actually inspired by the Barcelona goalkeeper, and has looked up to him throughout his childhood - even prior to his move to Spain.

“It’s a dream because all of a sudden you’re here one day playing in Florida and the next you’re in the best youth teams in the world,” Kochen said, speaking of his move to the Catalan club. “Being a goalkeeper, it was always [Marc-Andre] ter Stegen [that I looked up to], from day one. He’s been my idol since I was 12 years old and now to share a dressing room with him? I saw him pass by and I couldn’t believe I was sharing the same space with him. He’s a gentleman.”

Ter Stegen has long been one of the world's most talented goalkeepers and has been with the Blaugrana since 2014. Over a decade with the Spanish side now, he's established himself as an elite shot-stopper with unique capabilities between the post. For the Germany national team, he's been competing with Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer throughout his entire career, having provided healthy competition for the veteran on the international stage, too.

Kochen has the fortune of being able to watch the veteran goalkeeper up close and if he can continue to model his game off of Ter Stegen, it is exciting prospect for not only Barcelona but potentially the USMNT. The program has always been able to rely on a top goalkeeper, from Tony Meola to Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, and Brad Guzan, there has always been a reliable stalwart between the posts. Heading into 2026, the U.S. has uncertainty in net for the first time in over 20 years, which could ultimately see Kochen emerge and find himself competing for the spot.

Ter Stegen is currently sidelined with a ruptured patella tendon in his knee, and he underwent surgery in September 2024 -- putting the Blaugrana into an injury crisis situation between the posts. Spanish goalkeeper Inaki Pena was initially promoted to the man between the posts until the club signed former Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on a free transfer after the Poland international had initially retired over the summer.

Kochen, meanwhile, was thrown into first-team training and was immediately an option for Flick in net. However, he's yet to be given his chance, although his luck might be changing in the coming months.

Szczesny committed two errors in the Catalan Club's UEFA Champions League match midweek, initially putting the club in jeopardy of losing the match being down 4-2 with 22 minutes left in the match. However, three heroic goals during the final stretch of the match saw them claim three points. Regardless, though, the Polish goalkeeper had an evening to forget, and there's a chance Flick might make a change in net soon as a result.

Kochen, meanwhile, will remain patient as opportunity looms - for both club and country. This March, he will aim to be a part of Pochettino's CONCACAF Nations League semifinals squad, as the U.S. search for their fourth-straight title in the competition.

Whether he earns a USMNT call-up or starts for Barcelona in the near future, the 18-year-old remains calm, composed and focused as he aims to make his mark in the next 16 months.