Who will start for the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup as tournament hits one-year sign post?
The Yanks don't look great, and a sea of players are missing out on the 2025 Gold Cup thanks to injuries, rest, and even the Club World Cup.
MORE — USMNT 0-4 Switzerland recap | USMNT player ratings
The talent and experience pools are as deep as ever, so precious few starting spots are assured players who remain healthy over the next 12 months.
Christian Pulisic? Of course.
Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson? Yep.
Beyond that?
Who will start for the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup?
The United States has very little top-end experience outside of Matt Turner and Zack Steffen, as the position once-laughably strong is very uncertain — Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, nor Tim Howard are walking through that door.
The back three trotted out by Mauricio Pochettino in the second half of the Yanks' 4-0 loss to Switzerland offered some intrigue, though Switzerland wasn't exactly hunting goals 5, 6, and 7. Still, right now Tim Ream might be one of the two best center backs in the pool despite his 37 years. Chris Richards is a near lock, but there's room to impress for Cameron Carter-Vickers and a handful of others. Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest, and Joe Scally help produce a solid group of fullbacks.
Johnny Cardoso's the name of the moment while Tyler Adams when healthy is a no-brainer. But there's a lot more here. Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre, Gianluca Busio, and Tanner Tessmann will surely be joined by others. Weston McKennie could count in this camp or the next category.
There's plenty to like beyond Pulisic. Diego Luna and Malik Tillman are top of mind right now given their strong showings against Turkiye and then off the bench versus Switzerland. Timothy Weah has often impressed in a U.S. shirt.
Pochettino clearly likes Patrick Agyemang, but Folarin Balogun is the front-runner in a crowded field of players which includes Haji Wright, Josh Sargent, and more.
Matt Turner
Sergino Dest — Chris Richards — Tim Ream — Antonee Robinson
Tyler Adams — Johnny Cardoso
Timothy Weah — Malik Tillman — Christian Pulisic
Folarin Balogun
Bench: Ethan Horvath, Zack Steffen, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie, Walker Zimmerman, John Tolkin, Joe Scally, Luca de la Torre, Diego Luna, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Giovanni Reyna, Jack McGlynn, Haji Wright, Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi
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