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Posted

The Athletic posted an updated 26 this morning. I’ll post the full thing later today when I’m in front of a computer. But they have Musah completely off the team and not even particularly close. Hard to disagree but that’s so disappointing to me. I felt like he was literally our best player in Qatar and at that time looked like our next best chance to develop a truly world class, champions league-caliber player. It’s been nothing but downhill since. I dunno if the guy is just fucking lazy or what. Such a bummer. 

Posted
47 minutes ago, tokamak said:

looked like our next best chance to develop a truly world class, champions league-caliber player.

Man I'm not sure I ever rated him that highly but he has some great tools. 

He just moved clubs 2 months ago. He's young. The book isn't closed on him with the NT.

Posted

Here's the full article.

Spoiler

Goalkeepers

Locks: Matt Freese

Confident: None

In consideration: Chris Brady, Roman Celentano, Diego Kochen, Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Jonathan Klinsmann

Stock up: None

Stock down: Turner

Tenorio: Pochettino has made one lineup preference clear in his time as U.S. coach: Freese appears to be locked in as No. 1. Everything behind him is up in the air. I am not sure if Matt Turner can play his way back into this U.S. roster with a strong first half of the season with New England, or if Pochettino will opt for a less-experienced option behind Freese.

Bushnell: I’m sure Turner can play his way back in. Can. However, beyond Freese, we have no idea how Pochettino rates his half-dozen backup options because he never plays any of them!

 

Center backs

Locks: Chris Richards, Tim Ream

Confident: Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson

In consideration: Noahkai Banks, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Walker Zimmerman

Stock up: McKenzie, Robinson

Stock down: Carter-Vickers

Tenorio: Behind the two players who have been starters in many games under Pochettino, McKenzie and Robinson have been consistent call-ups. McKenzie wore the captain’s armband against Uruguay, which has to be a good sign for his standing. Pochettino has options at the position now. Both Freeman and Scally have played well at the hybrid No. 3 center back/fullback role. Pochettino could bring in four natural center backs, as those two will be considered options in this position group. He might also look to bring in a player like Zimmerman as a sort of “specialist” at the position — a player you bring in at the end of the game, like against Iran in 2022, who can help close out a game by winning headers.

Bushnell: Last month, I was convinced that Zimmerman would go in the “specialist” role. Now, I’m not so sure. The top four have seemingly separated themselves. I almost think the biggest question is: could McKenzie or Robinson displace Ream, or capably deputize if Ream declines? Ream has immense value as a leader. But solely as a soccer player, at 38, he has become one of the potential question marks in the starting 11. We’ll see in March and June how locked into the second starting spot he is.

 

Fullbacks/wingbacks

Locks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson

Confident: Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman

In consideration: Joe Scally, John Tolkin

Stock up: Arfsten, Freeman, Scally

Stock down: None

Tenorio: With Robinson’s health very much up in the air, Arfsten has performed well since the U.S. moved to a formation that sees the left-back play more like an attacking wing-back. Meanwhile, Freeman’s two-goal performance out of the right center-back/right-back role on Tuesday night in Tampa all but cemented him a spot at the World Cup. Two players, mainly off the radar, entering the Gold Cup could feasibly start at the World Cup. Scally also helped himself in this camp with his versatility, playing inside and outside on the back line.

Bushnell: For years, the full-back position has been hounded by depth concerns. If Robinson had been struggling with a knee injury in the buildup to the 2022 World Cup, what the heck would that USMNT have done? This USMNT, on the other hand, now seems to have capable backups on both sides. And given the positional flexibility of many of the players in contention here, it’s possible, if not likely, that we’ll see all five of Dest, Robinson, Arfsten, Freeman and Scally — plus Weah, who’s a candidate to start at wing-back on either side — at the World Cup.

 

Central midfielders

Locks: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie

Confident: Tanner Tessmann

In consideration: Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan

Stock up: Berhalter, Roldan, Tessmann

Stock down: Cardoso, Musah

Tenorio: Tessmann was good against Paraguay and seems to be the best option to start next to Adams if Pochettino decides the Bournemouth midfielder is a player he wants on the field. McKennie is an interesting one, because he probably fits into the attacking midfield spot under Pochettino. I don’t see him as a fit to pair with Adams. Pochettino should want players like Tessmann or Roldan to sit deeper and let Adams do what he does at a world-class level: break things up, make interceptions and press like crazy. Berhalter’s continued effectiveness on set pieces, along with his fight and aggressiveness, might earn him a place on the World Cup team.

Bushnell: The biggest loser of the window was Musah. Pochettino made the semi-bold call to exclude him from all three fall camps after the versatile midfielder opted out of the Gold Cup. And the players who were called instead validated Pochettino’s decision. At this point, it would be unsurprising if Musah doesn’t get another shot under Pochettino — and, frankly, it would be surprising if he does get the call in March. The other question mark is Cardoso. What if he returns to full health and starts playing regularly at Atlético Madrid? However, that ship might have sailed too, because there’s no glaring need for him. Perhaps we’re overreacting to Berhalter’s performance on Tuesday, but the World Cup group appears to have taken shape.

 

Attacking midfielders/wingers

Locks: Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah

Confident: None

In consideration: Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Gio Reyna, Alejandro Zendejas

Stock up: Reyna

Stock down: Zendejas

Tenorio: Luna scored against Uruguay and didn’t necessarily move down in his standing, but the reality is that many players are showing reasons why they deserve serious consideration for a spot on the World Cup roster. Reyna had a goal and an assist in this window. If he’s healthy — and that’s a big if — he has a good chance to be on this team. Aaronson is starting every week in the Premier League and has a different defensive work rate than others at this position. Pochettino could have the “good dilemma” of picking a starter next to Pulisic between Tillman, Reyna and McKennie.

Bushnell: I still can’t see Reyna in the starting 11. But he was, without a doubt, the biggest winner of this November window. Because he didn’t just play well; he reminded us (and coaches) that he can still play well for the national team even if he’s not playing well (or playing much at all) for his club. That’s why he’s suddenly more likely to make the World Cup roster than miss it. I struggle with projecting this position, though, because it doesn’t seem necessary to take all six of Pulisic, Tillman, McKennie, Reyna, Aaronson and Luna if only two of them, or at maximum three, are going to be on the field at once. However, maybe that’s where the expansion of rosters to 26 comes in handy.

 

Strikers

Locks: Folarin Balogun

Confident: None

In consideration: Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Brian White, Haji Wright

Stock up: Wright

Stock down: Sargent

Tenorio: Three starts and three goals for Balogun put him on the “locks” list. Wright and Pepi are the most likely to win World Cup spots if they are healthy and scoring. Still, I’m not ruling out Agyemang — nor even Pochettino bringing four strikers with Agyemang seen as the “specialist” late in games, much in the same way as Zimmerman, only at the opposite end of the field.

Bushnell: I’d argue that Wright belongs in the “confident” category. He didn’t score Tuesday night but was active and part of the strong team performance. He’s clearly the No. 2 option at this point. Of course, that could change between now and June. Strikers, perhaps more so than anybody else, are subject to fluctuations in form. If Agyemang has a strong season in the Championship, I think we’ll likely see him in March and maybe in June. But the three in camp this month are definitely the top three. I don’t believe Sargent will get another chance this cycle.

 

USMNT 2026 World Cup roster projection

(As of November 2025)

Goalkeepers (3): Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner

Center backs (5): Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally

Fullbacks/wingbacks (4): Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson

Central midfielders (4): Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann

Attacking midfielders/wingers (7): Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah

Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright

 

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