A way-too-early look at the USMNT depth chart for 2026 World Cup

Danny Karbassiyoon was decidedly connected the database astatine immoderate point. Gedion Zelalem, too. Freddy Adu, obviously. Brian Ching was precisely what we needed. We're aged capable that guys specified arsenic Jesse Marsch and Taylor Twellman were astir surely connected the database astatine 1 point. Oh, what could person been, Charlie Davies. I'm inactive holding retired hope, Joe Corona. You broke my heart, Bobby Convey.

For years, immoderate nerd friends of excavation and I had the aforesaid habit. As soon arsenic the United States men's nationalist squad were eliminated from a World Cup -- starting successful 2002, arsenic acold arsenic I tin tell, and extending done 2006, 2010 and 2014 -- we would instantly task guardant 4 years. We would marque spreadsheets of subordinate names (shocking behaviour coming from me, I realize), convincing ourselves that not lone were the young players connected each fixed World Cup squad going to instrumentality monolithic steps forward, but that the up-and-coming procreation of American teenagers was going to alteration the subordinate excavation and crook the US into a genuine contender.

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What's comic is we didn't bash it aft 2018 for evident reasons -- namely, that the US didn't adjacent suffice for the World Cup, truthful what the heck was the constituent -- and then... it really benignant of happened. The youths took implicit the US subordinate excavation successful the 5 years betwixt the team's nonaccomplishment to suffice for the 2018 World Cup (we won't notation Couva!) and their advancement to the 2022 World Cup's circular of 16. In total, 16 Americans played astatine slightest 45 minutes astatine the World Cup successful Qatar, and 12 of them were 24 years aged oregon younger, meaning they were teenagers erstwhile the US mislaid astatine Trinidad and Tobago to clinch nonaccomplishment successful October 2017.

This radical of breakthrough youngsters -- Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah dominating the midfield, Sergino Dest astatine full-back, and beauteous overmuch everyone who played upfront, led by Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic -- are going to look overwhelming expectations heading toward the 2026 World Cup, which they volition beryllium playing connected location soil. And the cardinal to surviving up to that hype volition beryllium different radical of youngsters attempting to marque the nonstop aforesaid interaction that this procreation conscionable did.

It volition beryllium overmuch much hard for a caller procreation to interruption done due to the fact that the aforesaid opportunities for playing clip volition beryllium harder to travel by. But they indispensable try. Especially if they tin people goals. Let's look astatine however the US subordinate excavation volition instrumentality signifier for 2026.

First things first: Four years is simply a agelong time

It's astir jarring, successful retrospect, to look backmost astatine who played for the US during 2018 qualification. Tim Howard, 38 astatine the time, was inactive successful goal. Midfielders Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman, each 35 years young, were inactive important. DaMarcus Beasley, besides 35, played 2 matches astatine left-back. On a per-minute basis, Clint Dempsey (34) and Sacha Kljestan (32 and a midfielder) were the team's astir prolific scorers.

Only 2 players -- Pulisic and right-back DeAndre Yedlin -- recorded starter-level minutes successful this 2018 rhythm and past besides played successful 2022. Only 3 different players -- Tim Ream, Kellyn Acosta and Jordan Morris -- were progressive successful some 2017 and 2022. Jurgen Klinsmann and Bruce Arena played 38 antithetic guys successful the hopes of uncovering a lineup that would prevention their World Cup hopes, and lone 5 of them really landed connected the adjacent World Cup roster. That is simply a dramatic magnitude of turnover.

Whoever is successful complaint of the nationalist squad during this adjacent four-year cycle, beryllium it Gregg Berhalter oregon idiosyncratic caller -- we'll find retired the plans soon, arsenic Berhalter's declaration is expiring -- volition not beryllium forced to acquisition the aforesaid magnitude of transition. But let's instrumentality a position-by-position walk-through to spot wherever large decisions request to beryllium made, and/or wherever breakthroughs would beryllium peculiarly beneficial.

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Frank Leboeuf criticizes USA's defending arsenic the squad crashed retired of the Qatar World Cup to Netherlands successful the past 16.

Goalkeeper

• Players progressive successful 2022 World Cup and qualification (listed successful bid of minutes): Matt Turner (will beryllium 31 erstwhile the 2026 World Cup begins), Zack Steffen (31)

• Other players who played successful astatine slightest 2 US matches successful the past 2 years: Ethan Horvath (30)

How agelong agone was the failed 2018 qualification? Well, Turner had made his nonrecreational debut lone months earlier, and the Fairfield postgraduate wouldn't marque his MLS debut until the pursuing spring. Then helium started for the US astatine the adjacent World Cup.

It feels similar this presumption is connected coagulated footing. At 28, Turner conscionable joined Arsenal successful clip to attack what sometimes ends up being a goalkeeper's highest years. He's a backup determination and we'll spot however things instrumentality signifier for him, but helium was 1 of the amended axenic shot-stoppers successful Qatar. Steffen inactive has a small clip to get his vocation backmost connected way aft an injury-laden play of late, too, and portion players specified arsenic Sean Johnson (37 astatine the clip of the adjacent World Cup) are apt aging retired of the pool, it doesn't look that the US lacks successful breathtaking young options.

Five names to get excited about

1. Gabriel Slonina (22 successful 2026). Needless to say, if you motion with Chelsea astatine property 18, you're going to extremity up beauteous precocious connected immoderate prospects list. The 6-foot-4 Slonina held his ain successful MLS and present takes connected the risky beingness of becoming portion of Chelsea's indebtedness army.

2. Chituru Odunze (23). He moved from the Vancouver Whitecaps to Leicester City without playing a senior-level match, and helium hasn't done truthful for the Foxes either. But he's 6-7, and helium remains 1 of the highest-potential players successful the pool.

3. Diego Kochen (20). The lanky 16-year-old has spent the past year-and-a-half successful the Barcelona pipeline. He's a agelong mode from the archetypal team, but that nine unsocial gets you enactment connected a database similar this.

4. John Pulskamp (25). The 5-10 Sporting KC keeper is much of an jock than a towering presence, but helium had Berhalter's attraction capable to get a call-up to campy past December.

5. Chris Brady (22). The 18-year-old has already shined astatine the USL League One level and made his Chicago Fire debut this past season.

Center back

• Players progressive successful 2022 World Cup and qualification (listed successful bid of minutes): Walker Zimmerman (will beryllium 33 erstwhile the 2026 World Cup begins), Miles Robinson (29), Tim Ream (38), Chris Richards (26), John Brooks (33), Cameron Carter-Vickers (28), Erik Palmer-Brown (29)

• Other players who played successful astatine slightest 2 US matches successful the past 2 years: Aaron Long (33), Matt Miazga (30), Henry Kessler (27), Donovan Pines (28)

Berhalter leaned connected the halfway backmost duo of Zimmerman and Robinson for overmuch of World Cup qualification, but helium was thrown for a loop erstwhile Robinson ruptured his Achilles successful May. Assuming helium yet returns to afloat form, Robinson volition beryllium 29 and well-positioned to marque the 2026 team, but determination could inactive beryllium rather a spot of turnover astatine this presumption successful the coming years. Zimmerman and Ream played the astir minutes astatine the World Cup, but Zimmerman is aging and Ream is ancient. (I'm adjacent older, truthful I'm allowed to accidental that.)

It's existent that plentifulness of halfway backs property gracefully, but adjacent if Zimmerman remains viable, helium and Robinson could some get pushed by up-and-comers specified arsenic Carter-Vickers, the Celtic defender who played good against Iran, and the oft-injured Richards, who mightiness person been the first-choice feline successful 2022 if helium could person stayed healthy.

If nary high-upside names look successful the coming years, this presumption inactive could beryllium good taken attraction of by veterans, but determination are inactive immoderate intriguing prospects to watch.

Five names to get excited about

1. Justin Che (23 successful 2026). The FC Dallas merchandise got a coagulated tally successful MLS successful 2021 (his shot progression numbers were lovely), past went retired connected indebtedness to Hoffenheim. He has yet to interruption into dense rotation there, but he's big, progressive and physical. His aboriginal could extremity up astatine either halfway backmost oregon right-back.

2. Grayson Dettoni (20). He's already 6-foot-4 and has been successful the Bayern Munich pipeline for a while. What other bash you request to know?

3. Kobi Henry (22). The Lakeland, Florida, merchandise debuted for the USL's Orange County SC astatine 16 and signed with France's Stade de Reims this past summer.

4. Brandan Craig (22). He could extremity up astatine either halfway backmost oregon antiaircraft midfield, helium made his debut for Philadelphia Union astatine 18, and he's a dependable beingness successful the US U20 pool.

5. Tyler Hall (20). A merchandise of Inter Miami, the 16-year-old is already successful the US U17 and MLS Next Pro rotations. Major imaginable here.

Full-back

• Players progressive successful 2022 World Cup and qualification (listed successful bid of minutes): Antonee Robinson (will beryllium 28 erstwhile the 2026 World Cup begins), Sergino Dest (25), Deandre Yedlin (32), Shaq Moore (29), Mark McKenzie (27), George Bello (24), Reggie Cannon (27)

• Other players who played successful astatine slightest 2 US matches successful the past 2 years: Sam Vines (27), Joe Scally (23), Bryan Reynolds (24)

The velocity and pressing abilities of Fulham's Robinson and AC Milan's Dest made a monolithic quality for the US successful Qatar, adjacent though some battled fatigue issues arsenic the tourney wore on. Meanwhile, though Scally has not been fixed overmuch of a tally nether Berhalter for immoderate reason, helium has started for the Bundesliga's Borussia Monchengladbach for overmuch of the past play and a fractional and won't crook 20 until New Year's Eve.

- Stream connected ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, much (US)

One could wonderment astir the imaginable of the US full-back corps extracurricular of these 3 players; Moore struggled successful the World Cup, Bello's improvement appears to person stunted since his determination to Germany's Arminia Bielefeld, and we'll spot if either McKenzie oregon Cannon person different cogwheel to find successful the coming years. A mates much names request to look truthful that the US aren't wholly babelike connected 3 guys for 2 positions. Luckily, there's plentifulness of upside successful the pipeline to the grade that I struggled to support the pursuing database astatine 5 names.

Five names to get excited about

1. Kevin Paredes (23 successful 2026). After a coagulated age-18 play with D.C. United successful 2021 -- helium scored 3 goals with 1 assist, and helium was a pressures instrumentality -- Paredes moved to the Bundesliga's Wolfsburg this past January. He has made 10 appearances frankincense far, and helium remains a pressures machine. It appears helium could beryllium a large limb connected the close oregon left, too.

2. Jonathan Gomez (22). The Real Sociedad B left-back could inactive play for either the US oregon Mexico (he has played successful friendlies for some and appeared for the US U20 squad arsenic precocious arsenic September) and has the makings of a dependable shot progressor.

3. John Tolkin (23). Already a New York Red Bulls stalwart and a reliable defender, Tolkin was linked to Anderlecht implicit the summertime and volition apt beryllium connected his mode to Europe astatine immoderate constituent successful the coming years.

4. Christian McFarlane (19). New York City FC signed the England-born, New York-raised McFarlane to a first-team declaration erstwhile helium was 14, making him the youngest subordinate successful MLS past to motion specified a contract. Potential: disconnected the charts.

5. Caleb Wiley (21). The Atlanta-born Wiley already has a afloat play of MLS play nether his belt, and helium was 1 of Atlanta United's steadier defenders.

Midfield

• Players progressive successful 2022 World Cup and qualification (listed successful bid of minutes): Tyler Adams (will beryllium 27 erstwhile the 2026 World Cup begins), Yunus Musah (23), Weston McKennie (27), Kellyn Acosta (30), Luca de la Torre (28), Sebastian Lletget (33), Gianluca Busio (24), Cristian Roldan (31), James Sands (25), Aaron Long (33)

• Other players who played successful astatine slightest 2 US matches successful the past 2 years: Jackson Yueill (29), Eryk Williamson (28), Johnny Cardoso (24)

At 23, Adams is already the US skipper and aft however helium performed successful that relation successful Qatar, it could beryllium his for a long, agelong time. Adams, McKennie and Musah were truthful bully astatine the World Cup that they already earned a portion nickname -- "MMA," get it? -- and they volition each beryllium astatine oregon adjacent their respective peaks successful 4 years. If there's a azygous standout crushed for 2026 optimism, it comes from this.

The depth, however, could inactive basal to improve. Acosta has been a coagulated backup and fill-in for years, but Busio, different high-upside youngster, intelligibly struggled to gain Berhalter's spot and with players similar Acosta, Roldan and Lletget crossing property 30 soon, determination could beryllium country for youngsters successful the rotation. That's bully due to the fact that determination are lots of youngsters who could bid attraction soon.

Five names to get excited about

1. Reed Baker-Whiting (21 successful 2026). The Guardian named the 17-year-old portion of its Next Generation 2022 harvest successful September. He dominated the MLS' Generation Adidas Cup, and successful 305 minutes with the Seattle Sounders, helium has created 5 chances and attempted six shots worthy 1.4 xG. Of each the teenagers we're discussing, Baker-Whiting mightiness beryllium the astir apt subordinate to unit his mode into the US manager's plans.

Or helium mightiness not. Who knows? We're talking astir 17-year-olds here.

2. Adrian Gill (20). The Denver-born, Catalonia-bred, La Masia merchandise is the closest happening the US has to a Pedri-style prospect. He has already made appearances with Barcelona's B team, and helium doesn't crook 17 until January.

3. Obed Vargas (20). Another 17-year-old Sounder, Vargas has already logged much than 1,300 minutes successful MLS and the CONCACAF Champions League. He has large imaginable successful a pivot midfield role, and helium has proven that helium tin some walk the shot and gully interaction astatine precocious levels.

4. Taylor Booth (25). We mightiness person to hold a spot longer connected Baker-Whiting and Vargas, but Booth is conscionable astir ready. The onetime Bayern imaginable landed with the Eredivisie's Utrecht this play and is playing good successful countless positions, from some wings to antiaircraft midfield.

5. Paxton Pomykal (26). I'll admit it: I expected Pomykal to beryllium much progressive with the US nationalist squad implicit the past year. One of the much originative and carnal deep-lying midfielders successful MLS, the 22-year-old is 2 years removed from a season-long groin injury, and he's mostly bully successful the pressures department. If determination is so a coaching alteration for the US, possibly the adjacent manager volition spot amended things from the FC Dallas stalwart.

OK, I can't assistance it. There are excessively galore intriguing prospects successful midfield, truthful here's a sixth name.

6. Quinn Sullivan (22). A dependable sub for the Union, who topped Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference person successful 2022, Sullivan tin play astir anyplace from full-back to forward, and contempt getting utilized conscionable astir everywhere, helium inactive ended up creating 2.0 shots and 2.0 chances per 90 minutes this season.

Wingers and attacking midfielders

• Players progressive successful 2022 World Cup and qualification (listed successful bid of minutes): Christian Pulisic (will beryllium 27 erstwhile the 2026 World Cup begins), Tim Weah (26), Brenden Aaronson (25), Gio Reyna (23), Paul Arriola (31), Jordan Morris (31), Konrad De la Fuente (24)

• Other players who played successful astatine slightest 2 US matches successful the past 2 years: Jonathan Lewis (29), Chris Mueller (29), Malik Tillman (24)

It is jarring to deliberation of conscionable however agelong Christian Pulisic has already been doing this. He made his Bundesliga debut successful January 2016, astir 7 years ago, and helium scored his archetypal extremity for the US successful May 2016. And helium lone just turned 24 this fall. Tim Weah has already been an up-and-comer, a disappointing, injury-prone imaginable and a World Cup scorer, and he's 22.

Gio Reyna has mislaid astir of a play to injury, but inactive has 12 vocation goals for Borussia Dortmund and 4 for the US, lone turning 20 a fewer weeks ago. Brenden Aaronson went from absorbing MLS imaginable to Premier League stalwart successful fundamentally 2 years and is lone 22. Even Djordje Mihailovic, different originative subordinate who hasn't seen overmuch clip nether Berhalter, is lone 24 and moving to the Eredivisie this season.

This radical has already accomplished much than astir US players person successful European nine play, and they're conscionable getting started. While players similar Arriola and Morris could statesman to property retired of the plans successful the coming years, these 4 won't for rather a while. And if a subordinate similar Tillman, Mihailovic oregon 1 of the names beneath tin rise their respective games successful the coming seasons, this could beryllium the deepest country of endowment successful the subordinate pool.

Five names to get excited about

1. Paxten Aaronson (23 successful 2026). A spot much prolific with the Philadelphia Union than his brother, Aaronson could play immoderate fig of cardinal oregon attacking roles and volition present ply his commercialized with Eintracht Frankfurt successful the Bundesliga. (He signed successful November.) He does a small spot of everything, and he's amended than astir midfielders astir creating decent shots for himself.

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2. Caden Clark (23). Aaronson and Clark mightiness soon get to look disconnected successful the Bundesliga. The 19-year-old Clark signed with RB Leipzig successful 2021 earlier getting loaned backmost to New York Red Bulls. He's a harmless ball-progressor and mightiness already beryllium 1 of the amended crossers successful the subordinate pool.

3. Esmir Bajraktarevic (21). Already ascendant successful MLS Next Pro, the 17-year-old from Wisconsin made a trio of appearances for the New England Revolution successful 2022. He could extremity up successful midfield oregon adjacent halfway forward, but his crossing quality makes him peculiarly unsafe connected some wings.

4. Kristian Fletcher (21). A merchandise of Bethesda, Maryland, Fletcher was linked to Borussia Dortmund a twelvemonth ago, and helium was a deed for the USL Championship's Loudoun United this season. He lone precocious turned 18, but has already made a mates of U20 appearances.

5. Axel Perez (19). A sanction to slope for later.

Center forwards

• Players progressive successful 2022 World Cup and qualification (listed successful bid of minutes): Ricardo Pepi (23), Josh Sargent (26), Jesus Ferreira (25), Gyasi Zardes (34), Jordan Pefok (30), Haji Wright (28), Matthew Hoppe (25)

• Other players who played successful astatine slightest 2 US matches successful the past 2 years: Daryl Dike (26), Nicholas Gioacchini (25)

While I anticipation you person gone done this full piece, enactment for line, I recognize determination are decent likelihood that knowing however overmuch the US has lacked successful the halfway guardant section successful caller years, you instantly went to this conception successful hunt of hope. I counsel you to scroll backmost up and astatine slightest work the past mates of sections, too: portion the US should beryllium loaded successful the midfield and connected the wings for years to come, there's nary guaranteed savior successful the guardant ranks.

The astir reassuring happening you tin accidental astir the mediocre showing from US halfway forwards successful Qatar is that this was a peculiarly young unit. Josh Sargent, Haji Wright and Jesus Ferreira didn't precisely acceptable the satellite connected fire: In 338 full minutes, they combined for conscionable 128 touches and 10 shots worthy 0.9 xG. Their passing created 2 chances for others, but the lone extremity that came from this radical -- Wright's successful the 76th infinitesimal against the Netherlands -- was an awkward interaction and, frankly, a blessed mishap disconnected his heel.

Of the three, lone the 24-year-old Wright was adjacent calved earlier 2000. Whatever Sargent, Ferreira and adjacent Ricardo Pepi, Daryl Dike oregon Nicholas Gioacchini become, they're not determination yet. Sargent is enjoying a beardown play with Norwich City successful the English Championship, Ferreira is simply a deed with FC Dallas, and Pepi seems to person recovered his footing with Groningen successful the Eredivisie (six goals successful 9 matches). And if oregon erstwhile Dike tin get healthy, he's inactive successful presumption to perchance marque sound with West Brom.

Even if it turns retired to beryllium excessively precocious for a World Cup bid for a subordinate similar Pefok -- who's inactive lone 26, caput you -- determination are inactive plentifulness of players present who should improve, possibly significantly. One tin inactive anticipation for a caller sanction oregon 2 to look -- and it's ever conceivable that idiosyncratic specified arsenic Reyna oregon Weah could extremity up playing much of a relation done the mediate astatine some nine and state level successful the aboriginal -- but it astir apt stands to crushed that the United States' top presumption of request besides boasts the fewest ready-made prospects.

This isn't the lone state successful the satellite struggling to nutrient sturdy front-end scorers (hello, Germany, Spain and England the adjacent clip Harry Kane gets hurt), but it is struggling each the same, and the pipeline isn't astir arsenic loaded.

There are inactive immoderate names to follow, of course...

Five names to get excited about

1. Malick Sanogo (21). Like Baker-Whiting successful 2022, Sanogo was named to the Guardian's Next Generation database for 2021 aft scoring 38 goals successful 46 matches implicit 2 seasons with Union Berlin's U17 team. The New York-born 18-year-old has played for the US U20 squad but is eligible to play for Germany and Ivory Coast arsenic well. Whoever is starring the nationalist squad moving guardant volition person a recruitment occupation to bash here, but the payoff for winning his services could beryllium extensive.

2. Cade Cowell (23). We're putting Cowell connected the forwards database retired of a consciousness of hope. After a coagulated 2021 run upfront -- helium scored 11 goals with 5 assists and didn't crook 18 until precocious successful the play -- Cowell played chiefly connected the near helping successful 2022 to accommodate summation Jeremy Ebobisse, and portion his productivity was inactive coagulated (eight goals, 3 assists), well... the US has a batch of wingers. Cowell is simply a beardown passer and dribbler, but determination are minutes to beryllium recovered for anyone who tin bid a beingness successful the mediate of the attack.

3. Ezekiel Soto (19). It speaks to the deficiency of extent up beforehand that I'm putting a 15-year-old successful the No. 3 spot, but Soto is unsocial and active. In 480 minutes implicit 2 stints successful the MLS Generation Adidas Cup, the Houston Dynamo imaginable recorded 7 shots worthy 1.1 xG and created 4 chances for teammates. He appears coagulated successful the pressing department, and the shot jumps disconnected of his ft erstwhile struck.

4. Folarin Balogun (24). While the adjacent (or current) manager is making recruiting pitches, here's different subordinate to visit. The New York-born Arsenal guardant has erupted portion connected indebtedness with Stade de Reims this season, scoring 8 goals with 1 assistance from 11 chances created successful conscionable 15 matches. He is eligible to correspond England (for whom he's made 13 U21 appearances), the US (four U18 appearances) and Nigeria. One would deliberation there's playing clip disposable here, particularly if his improvement continues to skyrocket.

5. Brandon Vazquez (28). The San Diego-born 24-year-old was a spot of a late-bloomer, but he's bloomed, and helium truthful makes this database contempt precocious property (by imaginable standards). He scored 19 goals for FC Cincinnati during the 2022 MLS season, but portion helium played for the US astatine the U17, U19 and U20 levels, helium hasn't earned a call-up yet, and he's besides eligible to play for Mexico. The sooner the US attempts to enactment him into the fold, the better.