Бельгид хожигдож тэмцээнээ өндөрлүүлсэн АНУ-ын шигшээ баг дараагийн мөчлөгтөө бэлтгэж эхэллээ.
Өөрийн талбайдаа болсон Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээний шөвгийн 16-д Бельгид 4:1-ээр хожигдсон нь АНУ-ын хөлбөмбөгийн хувьд том цохилт боллоо. Багийн ахлах дасгалжуулагч Маурисио Почеттиногийн гэрээний хугацаа дуусч байгаа тул түүний ирээдүйн талаарх асуултууд хөндөгдөж байна. 2026 онд зохион байгуулагч орны хувиар шууд эрх авсан АНУ-ын хувьд 2030 оны тэмцээний өмнө сонгон шалгаруулалтын шатанд оролцох шаардлагатай болж байгаа нь сорилтыг улам нэмэгдүүлнэ.
Шигшээ багийн бүрэлдэхүүнийг шинэчлэх ажил эхэлсэн бөгөөд Кристиан Пулишич, Тайлер Адамс, Уэстон МакКенни, Фоларин Балогун зэрэг гол тоглогчид 2030 онд ч багийн тулгуур хүч хэвээр байх төлөвтэй байна. Харин энэ зуны тэмцээнд хангалтгүй оролцсон Тим Веа, Бренден Ааронсон болон хаалгач Мэтт Фриз нарын хувьд байр сууриа хадгалахын тулд клубтээ өндөр түвшний тоглолт үзүүлэх шаардлагатай болно. Жо Рейнагийн хувьд Парагвайн эсрэг гоол оруулсан ч дасгалжуулагчийн итгэлийг бүрэн олоогүй тул ирээдүй нь тодорхойгүй байна.
Шинэ залуу тоглогчдын хувьд Завьер Гозо, Каван Салливан, Адри Мехмети, Жулиан Холл нар ирээдүйн найдвар болон гарч ирж байна. Мөн Германы иргэншилтэй төвийн хамгаалагч Ноакай Бэнксийг шигшээ багтаа элсүүлэх нь чухал зорилт болоод байна. Ирэх дөрвөн жилийн хугацаанд болох Олимпын наадам болон бусад тэмцээнүүд нь залуу авьяастнуудад өөрийгөө батлах боломж олгох юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Four years is an eternity in global soccer. The gap between tournaments is just one facet of what makes the World Cup so special.
It also makes each World Cup’s ending so painful, as the United States and its supporters are still grappling with a disappointing 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 on home soil.
With much still to unpack and analyze, it’s also necessary to look forward. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino is out of contract after the World Cup, and conversations will resume about whether his future is with the USMNT or not.
In the meantime, preparations for the next cycle are underway and being tweaked. The player pool is constantly analyzed, and the big difference for the 2030 cycle will be the return of World Cup qualifying, which the U.S. did not have to endure for 2026 due to its automatic qualification as a host nation. There’s also a home Olympics between now and 2030, providing a spotlight and potential springboard for the slew of young talents coming through the ranks.
More games of consequence. More stakes. More pressure.
Projecting forward four years in this game is always treacherous, more so now than following the 2022 World Cup. The U.S. was the second-youngest team at that tournament and an obvious core was forming for 2026. Half of the 2022 team was selected four years later.
That still may be the case for 2030, but there will be a freshness to the player pool as soon as the first post-World Cup camp this fall — and especially if there’s a new manager.
As we cast an eye on the next four years, with so many key components still unknown, these are 30 American players to watch ahead of the 2030 World Cup (their age at the 2030 World Cup denoted in parentheses).
USMNT future and Poch’s contract after exit
The likely 2026 holdovers
1. Christian Pulisic (31) — LW/AM
2. Tyler Adams (31) — DM
3. Chris Richards (30) — CB
4. Weston McKennie (31) — CM
5. Folarin Balogun (28) — CF
6. Malik Tillman (28) — CM/AM
7. Alex Freeman (25) —RB
8. Antonee Robinson (32) — LB
9. Sergiño Dest (29) — RB/RW
10. Ricardo Pepi (27) —CF
The core of this roster won’t age out ahead of 2030, and most may still be at the end of their primes, depending on how each player’s body holds up. Despite the sour taste that lingers from the performance against Belgium even more than the result itself, the key players of this team had plenty of positive moments this summer.
It’s hard to see these 10 players being moved on from, barring injury or a severe drop of form.
Pulisic, Adams, McKennie, Richards and Balogun may well continue to be crucial pillars for this team over the next four years, even as they approach and/or cross over the wrong side of 30. Tillman and Freeman will be in their prime years.
Alex Freeman, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie should be among the top talents for the U.S. at the 2030 World Cup (Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
The possible 2026 holdovers
11. Matt Freese (31) — GK
12. Tim Weah (30) – W/RB
13. Brenden Aaronson (29) — AM
14. Sebastian Berhalter (29) — CM
It may look silly to list Weah as “possible holdover” rather than something more definite in a few months with improved form, but a tough summer culminated with him being an unused sub in both of the team’s knockout games. Aaronson was as well but should still firmly be with the team moving forward, especially if he continues to perform at Leeds.
Conversely, Berhalter did make the most of his minutes this summer. The one difference here is central midfield is extremely deep for the U.S., with some players who were either injured or left off this summer pushing to be involved again. Continued top form in MLS and a potential European move should keep Berhalter on the radar.
As for Freese, he’ll be remembered for the gaffe that gifted Belgium its third goal, but the position is a complete toss-up going forward. Will three GKs emerge to remove the incumbent from contention?
A number of other players from this summer not listed above will remain under consideration, but there is always natural progression in rosters.
Gio Reyna is a glaring omission here, but beyond his trivela goal in stoppage time against Paraguay, he didn’t show a ton this summer. As always, his ability is not the question. Pochettino viewed him as a “special situation,” but any potential future manager may not see things the same way, unless Reyna is able to have a club-level resurgence and achieve the kind of consistent production so many have been desiring to see. He’ll still be just 27 when the next World Cup comes around, so nothing is off the table.
Elsewhere, Haji Wright and Alejandro Zendejas barely saw the field, while Mark McKenzie (save for the postgame team circles) and Joe Scally didn’t make their marks.
That being said, it wouldn’t take much for any of these players to remain within the regular group.
Sebastian Berhalter (14) celebrates after scoring one of the goals of the tournament at the World Cup vs. Turkey (Matthew Childs / Reuters)
Those who missed this summer
15. Noahkai Banks (23) — CB
16. Johnny Cardoso (28) — DM
17. Tanner Tessmann (28) — DM
18. Aidan Morris (28) —CM
19. Patrick Agyemang (29) — CF
20. Diego Luna (26) — AM
One point of focus this fall will be on Banks, the highly-rated 19-year-old German-American center back. He has previously been involved with the U.S. but has not pledged his future to the team. Whether it’s Pochettino or someone else calling the shots, securing his commitment would add another promising player at a position of serious need.
Cardoso likely would have been on this summer’s roster if not for injury, while Tessmann, Morris and Luna were among the biggest snubs. None should be considered off the radar despite missing this World Cup.
Agyemang was also on the bubble before a torn Achilles ended his dream in April and would reclaim his place with a return to fitness and scoring form at Derby County. Another forward to keep an eye on is Damion Downs, who broke into the fringes of the senior team before a disaster season split between Southampton and Hamburg. At 22, he’s got plenty of time to get back on track.
There’s also the curious case of Yunus Musah, who will be 27 in 2030, but as long as Pochettino is the head coach, that ship appears to have sailed. His club career has mostly stalled since 2022 as well.
Securing the commitment of German-American center back Noakhai Banks, left, will likely be a USMNT priority for the 2030 cycle (Adam Pretty / Getty Images)
The next generation
21. Zavier Gozo (23) — RW/RWB
22. Cavan Sullivan (20) —AM/W
23. Adri Mehmeti (21) — DM
24. Julian Hall (22) — CF
25. Peyton Miller (22) — LB/LW
26. Mathis Albert (21) —W
27. Rokas Pukstas (25) — CM
28. Julian Eyestone (20) — GK
29. Diego Kochen (24) — GK
30. Josh Wynder (25) — CB
This is the most exciting portion of the exercise, with a number of burgeoning young talents making their way through youth national teams and their first steps in senior club soccer.
Gozo made a late push to be included on this summer’s roster, but it was always a longshot. The Real Salt Lake rising star is likely to be one of the first players to get his senior national team debut in the coming months.
Sullivan, the Philadelphia Union wonderkid who is set to join Manchester City when he turns 18, has fully broken into the Union’s first team. Those minutes will only increase with a coaching change and Ryan Richter taking over on an interim basis.
Teenagers Adri Mehmeti (No. 15) and Julian Hall (16) are two of the brightest young talents in MLS (Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
Red Bull New York’s teenage duo of Hall and Mehmeti are two of the brightest young talents in MLS. They, too, could be in line for senior national team debuts before long.
Albert (Dortmund) may be a little further away, but he is viewed as a potential elite talent. Wynder (Benfica) and Pukstas (Hajduk Split) are a few years older than the others here, but also could be knocking on the door.
Young goalkeepers Eyestone (Brentford) and Kochen (Lyngby, on loan from Barcelona) highlight the next wave of American shotstoppers looking to make their mark as well. Both trained with the World Cup group throughout this summer.
As ever with young players, this list is volatile and there’s sure to be plenty of late-bloomers or those way off the radar who make their mark. No one would have tipped the likes of Berhalter or Freese for the 2026 squad four years ago. The next World Cup, unfortunately for the USMNT and its fans new and old, is a long way away.
