USMNT players with the most to prove before World Cup ‘26

The USMNT in the 2025 Gold Cup- our last competitive tournament before the World Cup

307 Days…

Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially just 307 days away from the opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. I believe this tournament will be the single greatest sporting event the world has ever witnessed, and it’s going to unfold right here in our country. The 2025/26 season, both domestically in MLS and abroad in Europe, will inevitably determine the 26 players that we choose to represent our nation next summer. It goes without said just how important their task will be, with the hopes and dreams of an entire nation resting on their shoulders. I hope these players go out there and inspire the next generation of American soccer players and fans, and help to grow this sport here like never before. With that being said, in this article I will discuss some American players who I think have the most to prove going into this season. Whether that’s an MLS player whose season is already well underway, or one of our guys playing in Europe whose roster spot is in contention, I will talk about players from both sides.

Pochettino and his staff have shown their willingness to select MLS players if they show the grit and determination they’re looking for, so the age of European dominance in our national team is no more. While analyzing our current player pool, I see somewhere between 12-15 guys who I believe are shoe-ins for our roster next summer. I’m going to make it easy and call it 14, which gives 12 more roster spots that are really anyone’s for the taking. Most of the players I talk about in this article will fall somewhere in that category, and stand to have the most to gain with a very strong ‘25/’26 European season or closing to the 2025 MLS season. Let’s get into it…

Matt Turner

Former USMNT No. 1 Matt Turner decides to return to the New England Revolution just one year before the 2026 World Cup

The first player with a lot to prove is our goalkeeper from the ‘22 World Cup in Qatar, Matt Turner. After what has to be said was a disappointing 3 years in England with Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace, Matt Turner has decided to come home to New England. I think this is undoubtedly the right call from Matt- he’ll slot right in as the #1 keeper in New England and get consistent minutes leading into next summer. Consistent games is exactly what he needs right now, and he wasn’t getting that in Lyon where he recently signed. Going on loan back to MLS for a year might be just what Matt needs to reestablish himself as our #1. At the moment, I think it’s Matt Freese’s spot to lose after his strong Gold Cup display this summer. However, neither of them really give me a lot of confidence, and goalkeeper will definitely be a position of concern moving forward. It’s unfortunate because historically goalkeeper has always been our best position, but times change.

Gio Reyna

After losing his squad number to Jobe Bellingham at Dortmund, it’s clear Gio needs to move on. But where?

Gio Reyna, where do I even begin with the last 3 years of your career? Gio has quickly gone from our most promising prospect with immense potential to being a massive question mark of even making our 2026 roster. However, the good news with Gio is that he’s still only 22 years old and still has bags of talent- he just needs a change of scenery and an injection of confidence to rediscover himself. The amazing news for me is that his most likely destination appears to be Parma at the moment! Yes, the same Parma I lived in and interned for from January to May of this year. I am praying the clubs find an agreement and Gio heads over to Italy; I truly believe it would be the perfect place for Gio to rediscover himself. The club has American owners with lots of ambition, and recently hired Carlos Cuesta as their new manager. As the youngest manager in Europe’s top 5 leagues at just 30 years old, Cuesta comes to Parma from Arsenal where he served as an assistant for Mikel Arteta. Parma is away from the spotlight and I could really see Gio thrive here. Let’s hope the move works out and we start to see Gio Reyna’s comeback- I still believe in him but he has a lot of work to do.

Folarin Balogun

On paper our most talented striker, but so far underwhelming for AS Monaco. Can he put together an impressive campaign in Ligue 1 to dispel any doubts about his place in the USMNT starting XI?

There is no doubt that Balogun will be in that 26-man roster- he is just too talented to leave out. Maybe putting him here is harsh on my part, but the truth is that he’s been very underwhelming for AS Monaco in his time there thus far. After a breakout campaign for Reims in 2022/23 in which he scored 21 league goals, he has failed to recreate that form for Monaco since he signed in the summer of 2023. His time in Monaco has been stalled by injury and poor form- in the ‘24/’25 campaign he scored 4 goals and made just 13 appearances. While I believe he should be our starting striker next summer, I believe this is a massive season for Flo to prove to Pochettino and his staff that the #9 spot is his. Monaco will be playing Champions League football this season, so he will have plenty of chances against the best in Europe to prove his quality. I believe in him, but this year is a big one for Balogun.

Luca de la Torre

On loan in San Diego where he grew up, De La Torre has some work to do if he wants to be part of our 26 next summer.

Luca de la Torre has possibly gone under the radar for SDFC as of late, but his time back home in San Diego has been pretty underwhelming so far. His impact has been minimal, whereas a player of his supposed quality should be taking control of games in MLS much more frequently. He was a main feature of the USMNT’s 2025 Gold Cup campaign, but again I’m not sure if he’s done enough to cement his place in the eyes of Mauricio Pochettino. He won’t be a starter in our midfield next summer regardless, but we are going to need backup for our midfield 3. De La Torre needs to close out the season much stronger for San Diego if he wants to push to be a part of our squad in the World Cup. No roster spot can afford to be taken for granted, as we’re gonna need all 26 guys ready to make an impact when called upon.

A Second Center-Back

With Chris Richards the only real roster lock in the CB position, who will be his partner at the heart of the USMNT defense next summer?

For the last player I’ll be talking about in this article, I’m going to have some fun and leave it ambiguous. In my eyes, Chris Richards will undoubtedly be one of our starting CB’s at the World Cup next summer, barring any injuries (knock on wood). That leaves the remaining question- who will be our other starter in the heart of the defense? CB is such a crucial position, and we need to have two guys back there who inspire confidence and can hold their own against the world’s best. I’m sorry Tim Ream, you’re a USMNT legend and I have the utmost respect for your career, but there is just no way you are defending Mbappe, or Yamal, or Haaland. Who knows the teams we will face next summer? With the new 48 team format, no one can predict who we’ll face. The remaining CB options include Mark Mckenzie, Miles Robinson, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and maybe Auston Trusty. Their form in the 307 days from now until the start of the tournament will be absolutely decisive in answering this question, and despite my earlier comments, there is honestly a solid chance that Ream is still in the running. I’m very intrigued to see how our CB situation unfolds.