The USMNT announces its final 26-man soccer World Cup roster on May 26 in New York, and the biggest storyline is not the veterans. It is how many young American players are genuinely in contention to make their first World Cup squad on home soil.
The golden generation that people talked about for a decade is arriving all at once, and several of the names below could be starting games before this tournament is over.
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A few others are long shots who would need everything to go right. All of them represent how deep American soccer has become, and how different this squad looks compared to any USMNT World Cup group that came before it. Here are the top under-25 American players set to make their World Cup debuts in 2026.
10. Diego Kochen, CF Montréal (Canada)
Diego Kochen is a young forward who has been building his case in MLS and earned fringe USMNT consideration heading into the selection window. He is not a certain pick by any stretch, but his form at club level has kept him in the conversation and makes him one of the more interesting outside bets on this list. If Pochettino goes with extra attacking depth, Kochen is the kind of player who benefits.
9. Zavier Gozo, New York Red Bulls
Gozo has been in tremendous form with six goals and four assists in his first 13 MLS games this season. If he makes it, he would become only the third teenager to appear in a World Cup for the USMNT, following Julian Green in 2014 and Yunus Musah in 2022. He is a genuine longshot, but his early 2026 form has made that conversation completely legitimate.
8. Rokas Pukstas, Hajduk Split
Pukstas is a Lithuanian-American midfielder who has been developing steadily in Europe and is one of the more under-the-radar names on this list. He is not a certainty for the squad but has been monitored closely throughout the qualifying cycle and represents the kind of positional depth Pochettino may want to build in for a long tournament.
7. Cavan Sullivan, Manchester City
Cavan Sullivan made history by becoming the youngest player to appear in an MLS game before his move to Manchester City, and his development since has been closely watched. He is widely considered a few years away from being a regular starter at international level, but at a home World Cup, there is always a chance Pochettino finds a spot for someone with that kind of ceiling.
6. Chris Brady, Club Brugge
Brady is the young goalkeeper fighting for a backup spot behind the frontrunners for the starting job. Sports Illustrated listed him as one of five players at risk of missing the squad entirely, which tells you the competition is fierce. He is talented enough to travel, but whether Pochettino values his upside over more experienced options is the key question heading into the May 26 announcement.
5. Kristoffer Lund, Palermo
Lund is a left back who has been earning regular minutes in Serie B and has represented the USMNT at various levels. He gives Pochettino a versatile, young defensive option on the left side of the pitch, and his European experience makes him more battle-tested than his age might suggest. A solid pick if the coaching staff wants to protect the back line with cover going into a long home tournament.
4. Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake
Luna has been one of the standout young midfielders in MLS, and his form at Real Salt Lake has kept him firmly in the World Cup picture. He plays with energy, creativity, and the kind of pressing intensity that suits exactly how Pochettino wants the USMNT to operate. The Athletic’s final squad projection lists him as a likely inclusion, putting him in a strong position ahead of the announcement.
3. Johnny Cardoso, Atletico Madrid
Cardoso has had a disrupted run-up to the tournament after injuring his leg during a USMNT training camp, but has since returned to training with Atletico Madrid. When fit, he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the squad and his Champions League experience with Atletico gives him a level of big-game credibility that very few American players his age have. The question heading into May 26 is purely fitness.
2. Ricardo Pepi, PSV Eindhoven
Pepi has been one of the most consistent American forwards in Europe over the past two seasons, netting 12 Eredivisie goals this season with PSV and cementing himself as a genuine starter-level option for Pochettino. He and Balogun are in a straight fight for the starting striker role, and the argument that Pepi is the better fit for the system is one that several analysts are making louder as the tournament approaches.
1. Folarin Balogun, Monaco
Balogun has had a phenomenal club season, scoring 19 goals and adding four assists in all competitions for Monaco. He is almost certain to make the 26-man squad and is in the running to start as the USMNT’s number nine at a home World Cup. At 23, playing in his first World Cup in front of American crowds with that kind of club form behind him, Balogun is the young American player with the highest ceiling heading into the summer, and the one most capable of turning this tournament into his personal stage.