It’s been a week since the USMNT fell to Mexico 2-1 in the 2025 Gold Cup Final. Now, the USA has just five international windows (Sept., Oct., Nov., Jan., March, and May) to play 10 matches ahead of next summer’s World Cup, which will be played on home soil for the first time since 1994.
This summer was a chance to experiment for head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Many of his top players were not called into the Gold Cup. Some were out because they were playing in FIFA’s new Club World Cup, others needed rest to rehab injuries and fatigue from a long European season, and then a third group was not called in because the gaffer questioned their professionalism. This led to the USMNT calling in a B-team full of fringe players, making up the USMNT’s player pool.
This B-Team defied odds and made the final of the Gold Cup, and now Poch has choices to make moving forward. Who from the Gold Cup roster played their way into possible plans for the 2026 World Cup? Here are five players who might have done just that, some honorable mentions, and players who may have played their way off the 2026 World Cup roster.
5 USMNT players at the Gold Cup that made a case to be crucial players at the 2026 World Cup
1. Chris Richards
The standout player of the 2025 Gold Cup was Chris Richards, who was likely already going to the 2026 World Cup. However, his play on the field during the tournament made him all but a lock to be a starter for the World Cup team.
His quickness, ability to defend 1v1, and elite set-piece attacking skills make him a very bright spot for the USMNT. If Poch wants a central defender to wear the armband, maybe he could even captain the side.
2. Malik Tillman
When the USMNT roster was released for the Gold Cup, the questions that swirled around the team were who was going to be the attacking spark without Pulisic; Malik Tillman rose to the occasion. Tillman has always been a great club player, but that greatness hadn’t translated to the national team, that is, until this tournament.
Tillman had three goals and two assists in the Gold Cup, and his skill on the ball and ability to progress the ball and provide in the attack make him a very important player moving forward. He may have just locked down the number 10 role for the USMNT at next summer’s World Cup. A huge move in club football to German giants Bayern Leverkusen doesn’t hurt his chances either!
3. Diego Luna
Speaking of attacking spark, no one has had a better 2025 for the USMNT than Diego Luna. From breaking his nose and continuing to play in January, to being the star-boy of the 2025 Gold Cup, Luna embodies the fight and grit the USA has been missing for almost the last decade.
Luna is far from a finished product, but the 21-year-old was the USMNT’s joint top scorer at the Gold Cup, and he’s a player that Pochettino has relied on. He seems like he’ll be at the World Cup and could be a great option to come off the bench to make a difference in a game and run at tired defenses.
4. Matt Freese
The USMNT has been built on the backs of goalkeepers who can win you games. However, over the last few years, that strength has dissipated. Matt Turner was the out-and-out starter but lost favor at a few clubs. This left the door open at the Gold Cup for MLS rising star Matt Freese to get minutes, and he didn’t disappoint.
While Freese wasn’t perfect in the Gold Cup, he was solid in the run of play and excellent in a penalty shootout vs. Costa Rica. He got his hand on five of six PKs he faced, saving three of the six en route to the USA advancing. The Philadelphia Union academy product and current NYCFC number one isn’t a lock to start at World Cup 2026, but he would have to have a shockingly bad year to not be on the roster for the USMNT next summer.
5. Sebastian Berhalter
Another player who has had a standout year in MLS, Sebastian Berhalter, has shown that he was included in this Gold Cup squad not only because he is the son of a former USMNT coach. Berhalter is an interesting box-to-box midfielder. He has an edge on the field and is up for a fight at any moment, a good quality to have in a player.
While Berhalter wasn’t bossing the midfield in games, he did act as an enforcer at times, being the bodyguard for former captain Tyler Adams. Along with that side of his game, he has great set-piece delivery, something the USMNT has been lacking in the past few years. If he keeps up his club form, he will likely be a part of the 26-man World Cup roster.
Honorable Mentions to make the World Cup roster
While Mauricio Pochettino put together this experimental roster, there were some hits and misses in terms of the players he used. The best-of-the-best were mentioned above, but who also did well at the Gold Cup, whose stock rose?
- Jack McGlynn
- Patrick Agymang
- Alex Freeman
- Max Arfsten
All of these players have played their way into being “Poch’s Guys.” They go out there and give it all for their coach and for the USMNT badge. Are these players who we will see in 2026, or could they make their way onto the pitch in a World Cup match? Maybe. A passing maestro midfielder, a strong hold-up striker, and two offensive-minded outside backs could just make up the back end of a World Cup roster.
Playing their way out of 2026 considerations?
With the good comes the bad, and some players who featured for the USMNT over the six matches in the Gold Cup and two friendlies that preceded the tournament didn’t cover themselves in glory.
- Brenden Aaronson
- John Tolkien
- Luca de la Torre
- Mark McKenzie
The four players above could have just played their way out of Pochettino’s plans for a spot at next summer’s World Cup. Brenden Aaronson and John Tolkien were the subs called upon by the USMNT in the big games at the end of the Gold Cup, and neither provided anything special. Luca de la Torre was a non-existent starter at this tournament in a midfield that needed him to progress the ball. Mark McKenzie only started in a 4-0 friendly loss to Switzerland, and only got 16 minutes off the bench in the first match at the Gold Cup.
Can these players get back in top form with their clubs this next year and make Poch’s job harder? Sure; however, right now, it seems like they are on the outside looking in. With all that being said, the USMNT boss has his work cut out for him in the next year: He will have to watch and evaluate his player pool, and coach 10 matches to get this team ready for a home World Cup!
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Featured Image Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
