Pulisic and Pochettino lead USMNT into a pivotal 2026 World Cup at home

Goal: as the 2026 World Cup arrives in North America this summer, the U.S. men’s national team has a rare opportunity to capture national attention on home soil and is preparing under new leadership for a tournament that could shape the sport’s future in the country. The squad features established stars and rising talent.

Christian Pulisic, now with AC Milan, has scored over 40 goals in all competitions in his third year with the club and is described as one of the best players in Serie A. Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are cited as key contributors in Europe, while MLS and young standouts such as Tim Ream, Diego Luna, Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter, Matt Freese and Max Arfsten had breakout years in 2025.

Mauricio Pochettino was hired after the 2024 Copa America to replace Gregg Berhalter; his résumé includes transforming Tottenham into a Champions League finalist and managing Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and the 2025 cycle saw him use a large, competitive player pool — more than 50 players appeared that year — to rebuild a desired mentality.

Key Topics

Sports, Christian Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino, Usmnt, Ac Milan, Mls