State of the USMNT - Fullbacks: Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest are still the standard - but new stars are emerging

The 2022 World Cup starters could certainly end up as the 2026 World Cup starters, too, as long as they stay fit. That has been the story for both for much of the last year or two, though: fitness.

Robinson is only just coming back after spending the bulk of 2025 dealing with injury issues. In 2024, he showed he could be one of the best fullbacks in the world, one who impacts the game in ways few can. A lingering knee issue slowed that progress, though, before derailing him entirely for chunks of this season. 

Dest, meanwhile, had his own injury to overcome: an ACL tear. He returned in the final weeks of PSV's title-winning 2024-25 campaign, helping make the difference in that race, but then took the summer to build back his fitness. Now fully back, he does look like his old self with the Dutch giants and is once again taking on all comers with the ball at his feet.

When fit, these two are absolute unicorns in the USMNT pool. Robinson is as well-rounded as any wingback in the world and has better assist numbers than most. Dest, meanwhile, can break down a defense singlehandedly with his dribbling ability, which could ultimately make the difference in a World Cup game. If these two are on the pitch, particularly with less defensive responsibility than they had in 2022, the U.S. will be extremely confident in their ability to dictate the game out wide.

A wide variety of players in here, but one key quality unites them: they can attack.

We'll start with Freeman, who was the star of the show in the Uruguay win that closed 2025. With Orlando City, the young defender has emerged as one of the most dangerous weapons in MLS. With the USMNT, he's grown increasingly confident and refined his defensive chops. That has put him in a place where he can play either as a wingback or as a pseudo-centerback due to his height at 6-foot-2 and athleticism.

With Freeman usually on the right, Arfsten has largely been the guy on the left in Robinson's absence. He, too, is an attack-minded wingback, one who made the conversion from winger with the Columbus Crew. He was slightly miscast most of this summer as a straight-up left-back, but after the switch to a back three, Arfsten is plenty comfortable in that wingback spot on the left side.

And then there's Weah, who remains one of the team's most interesting wild cards. He could certainly start next summer, either as an attacker or as a defender, and his ability to play on either side of the field makes possibilities endless. It'll be fun to see how Pochettino uses him going forward once everyone is healthy, and, at the very least, he's an absolute game-changing super-sub if the U.S. are chasing a goal or the game.

Speaking of wild cards, Joe Scally fits that bill as well. Is he a wingback or a centerback with this team? The good news is that he could be both, which certainly has him in the World Cup mix. The Borussia Monchengladbach defender was absent for much of 2025 but returned for that final camp to offer a look at how his versatility could impact the World Cup team should he be selected.

John Tolkin, too, impressed in the final camp of the fall. Starring for Holstein Kiel in the 2. Bundesliga, the defender quietly put in his best USMNT shift against his toughest opponent yet: Uruguay. After going through relegation with Kiel, Tolkin is now stepping into a bigger role in the second division, and it seems that has allowed him to lift his game for club and country.

Looking for the next generation of USMNT fullbacks? MLS offers no shortage of candidates. Among San Diego FC’s Luca Bombino, New England Revolution’s Peyton Miller, and Philadelphia Union’s Frankie Westfield, Bombino is the oldest - and he’s still just 20 years old. All three have already shown plenty at the MLS level and appear to have high ceilings, provided they continue their development at the club level.

Wiley, meanwhile, left MLS over a year ago and is now plying his trade at Watford. It's easy to forget that he's also still just 20 years old. The former Atlanta United fullback is dealing with an injury at the moment, but once he gets healthy, he'll continue to get key experience in the rugged Championship.

Earlier this summer, GOAL described fullback as the position where “the drop-off between starters and everyone else is steep,” with Robinson and Dest “in a class of their own.”

That is no longer the case. Yes, the lead two fullbacks are very good, and this team is better with them than without them. This group certainly isn't helpless if they aren't around, though. Throughout 2025, Pochettino focused on cultivating depth and competition, and there might not be a position where that's more apparent than this one. Freeman and Arfsten went from relative obscurity to actual World Cup contention. It's a credit to them and to Pochettino.

The fullback position is one of the team's strongest heading into next year's tournament.