The US men's national team has three matches left before the 2026 World Cup begins on home soil. Portugal on Tuesday. Senegal on May 31. Germany on June 6. Then it's real. After Saturday's 3-1 loss to Belgium in Atlanta, Mauricio Pochettino's side has work to do — but the bigger question isn't the result, it's whether the roster is ready.
The answer is: mostly yes, with one glaring problem.
The good news: attacking depth has genuinely improved
Start with the forwards, because the transformation from Qatar is real. In 2022, Haji Wright, Josh Sargent, Jordan Morris and Jesús Ferreira combined for just 10 shots and one goal across 341 minutes against the Netherlands. Under Pochettino, the forward group — Folarin Balogun, Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi and Wright — has scored 15 goals from 64 shots across 1,879 minutes. That's 3.1 shots per 90, up from 2.6. It's not elite, but it's a functional attack where the 2022 version was barely a threat.
Balogun has flashed the upside that made his commitment to the US in 2023 such a coup. Agyemang keeps making himself harder to leave out. Pepi, when healthy — which is increasingly a big caveat — is dangerous. This group won't frighten France or Brazil, but it won't get steamrolled either. Balogun, Pepi and Agyemang will all be under 30 in 2030, too, so this isn't just a one-cycle fix.
In midfield, Pochettino has quietly built something interesting. Tyler Adams remains the theoretical first choice, but he's played only 18 of 31 matches this season for Bournemouth and missed this international window with a minor injury. His absences have opened the door for Cristian Roldan (two assists against Australia), Djordje Mihailovic, Luca de la Torre and Aidan Morris — who's led the team with 18 ground duels won across this six-match run. Malik Tillman and Diego Luna have combined for seven goals and eight assists from 46 chances created under Pochettino. Giovanni Reyna, barely playing for Borussia Monchengladbach, earned his call-up anyway after impressing last November. The depth here is real.
Central defense is the problem no one has solved
No position has changed less since Qatar, and against Belgium, that felt like a liability. Tim Ream, who played every minute in 2022, is visibly slowing. He was poor on Saturday. Chris Richards' development at Crystal Palace has been one of the genuine bright spots of this cycle, but he's missed time with injury again — as has Miles Robinson. Without either against Belgium, Pochettino defaulted to a 4-2-3-1 and Ream and Cameron Carter-Vickers played all 90 minutes without a convincing answer.
The depth chart beyond Ream, Richards and Robinson is thin and aging. Of the seven center-backs who've played 90 or more minutes under Pochettino, six will be at least 31 by 2030. The minutes-adjusted age of the group is already over 30. Options like West Brom's Auston Trusty or 24-year-old Justin Haak of the LA Galaxy exist, but neither has made himself an obvious World Cup starter. Grayson Dettoni (20) and Justin Che (22) are further away still.
The most intriguing name in this conversation isn't even in the pool yet. Noahkai Banks, a 19-year-old Hawaii-born defender who has established himself in the Bundesliga with Augsburg, hasn't decided whether to represent the US or Germany. If he commits, he shoots to the top of every long-term conversation at center-back. He hasn't decided yet.
There's also the question of whether Pochettino's preferred 3-4-3 shape becomes a workaround — spreading the defensive load to wing-backs and forcing fullbacks like Joe Scally or Alex Freeman into back-three roles. Freeman, whose athleticism recently attracted Villarreal, and Patrick Arfsten — who leads the team with five assists under Pochettino — are almost certain to make the squad regardless.
- Goalkeeper: Patrick Freese has edged Matt Turner — better shot-stopping stats, better buildup play, more minutes under Pochettino. Turner has allowed nine goals in his last two US appearances at a sub-50% save rate.
- Fullbacks: Sergino Dest (ACL recovery) and Antonee Robinson (injury and form issues in 2024-25) are the first choices when fit. Both have played under 300 minutes for Pochettino. That's a concern.
- Attacking midfield: Christian Pulisic has created 19 chances under Pochettino but played just 692 minutes. Weston McKennie is being used in a more advanced role. Both matter — neither has been fully available.
The projected starting XI that Jeff Carlisle outlined for the World Cup has still never actually shared a pitch together. Not once. With three matches left before it counts, Pochettino needs bodies, health and minutes — in that order.
