The U.S. men’s national team is less than 250 days away from kicking off the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.
Still, there are plenty of questions surrounding the roster, and which players will be best suited for head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s setup, which, after one year, lacks an identity in both personnel and style.
Following a loss to South Korea and a win against Japan in the September window, Pochettino indicated that future rosters would be closer to a potential World Cup squad, and that appears to be the case with the October roster for friendlies against Ecuador and Australia.
At the same time, the Argentine head coach could look to stick with the 3-4-3 system he employed against Japan, which yielded the most positive performance for the USMNT under his guidance, shifting from his usual 4-4-2 formation.
Sports Illustrated takes a look at five players to watch this window, and you can check out the whole squad here.
Christian Pulisic - AC Milan (RW)
No player comes into camp in the form of Christian Pulisic, who is playing some of the best soccer of his life with AC Milan through the first few weeks of their season, splitting time as a right winger and a striker.
In six games so far, he has four goals and leads Serie A goalscoring, silencing many of the doubters from the summer, when he opted to skip the Concacaf Gold Cup to rest up for the Italian campaign.
With the USMNT, though, he has not scored since a November 2024 Nations League match against Jamaica, and has yet to form a lethal connection in attack with Folarin Balogun, who appears to be the top choice striker moving forward.
At the same time, should the 3-4-3 stick, his role as a wide player could elevate both his ability to contribute and, with that, the overall ceiling that the USMNT can hit. At the end of the day, the best USMNT is led by an in-form Pulisic, and October could be the first time in years that there is a chance for that to live up to the hype.
Antonee Robinson - Fulham (LB)
The USMNT are welcoming back Fulham defender Antonee Robinson for the first time in 2025, after Pochettino opted to leave the 28-year-old off recent rosters. Injuries have also hampered his potential participation.
The Fulham star will likely step back into the left-back starting spot, but may have to adapt to a left wingback role in the new formation, with Charlotte FC’s Tim Ream the potential left center back that he will work with. At the same time, Pulisic is the likely starter in front of him, making the left wing a critical point.
Since Robinson’s last inclusion, Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten has filled in well at left back and was threatening as a wingback against Japan. Yet, his role will likely go back to Robinson, considering the polished quality of the Premier League defender.
The only drawback for this window is the lack of a full backline, as Sergiño Dest was unable to attend the camp due to fatigue, despite playing for PSV Eindhoven on the weekend, leaving Pochettino without the opportunity to assess a full-strength back three with wingbacks.
Matt Turner - New England Revolution (GK)
Matt Turner began 2025 as the de facto starter for the USMNT. Still, since a disheartening performance at the 2025 Concacaf Nations League finals in March, he has fallen down the pecking order for Pochettino.
Although he played relatively few matches during his time with Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in England, there was hope that a move to Ligue 1 and Olympique Lyonnais could solidify his career. Yet, financial troubles for the club led him back to MLS with the New England Revolution, where he previously won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021.
Although returning from Europe could have been seen as a step back, Turner has solidified New England’s defensive situation, keeping two clean sheets in nine matches, allowing 14 goals.
However, he still has some distribution issues– such as the giveaway below after a rushed clearance, leading right to the foot of Lionel Messi in a 4–1 loss to Inter Miami.
Will he be able to impress at camp, or will he fall further out of the picture? Pochettino’s roster has four goalkeepers, and he seems to be the third in line, behind New York City FC’s Matt Freese, Columbus Crew SC’s Patrick Schulte, and ahead of Chicago Fire FC’s Chris Brady.
Haji Wright – Coventry City FC (ST)
No American striker has been in better form than Haji Wright over the last two months, as the 27-year-old has nine goals in five games to lead the Golden Boot race in the EFL Championship.
Although he has scored five goals in 17 caps with the U.S., Wright has rekindled his goalscoring touch with Coventry City under head coach Frank Lampard and has continued to refine his game, bringing him to 40 goals in all competitions since joining the English club.
With the USMNT striker situation still in relative flux, his form could earn him significant minutes at the 2026 World Cup, but he needs to start proving it at the international level, and there’s never been a better time.
Diego Luna – Real Salt Lake (CM)
Diego Luna was the story of the summer for the USMNT. Still, it was an underwhelming performance against South Korea and Japan, as he faced stronger competition in the September international window. Now, the Real Salt Lake midfielder needs to prove he belongs as the lead-up to the World Cup continues.
While Luna burst onto the scene last season with Real Salt Lake and took being snubbed by the U.S. U-23 Olympic roster in stride, he has cooled off on an underperforming RSL team in 2025, despite scoring nine goals and seven assists in 26 games.
Through the Gold Cup, he showed his ability to be a dynamic, play-driving attacking midfielder, but has struggled against better teams, including in the Americans’ defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup final.
Although Pochettino likes him, and he appears to be safe for a World Cup spot, a poor October window could impact his role moving forward––and potential hopes of moving abroad in the winter, which he seems to need if he is to take a step up to being an influential player against good teams.
Should Pochettino also keep the 3-4-3 that he played against Japan, it could further spell trouble for Luna’s hopes as well.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five USMNT Players to Watch vs. Ecuador, Australia in October.
