USMNT's Unanswered Questions Ahead of World Cup Squad Announcement

Mauricio Pochettino's side faces lingering defensive issues and Christian Pulisic's goal drought as World Cup roster decisions loom.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 9:22am

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With less than two months until Mauricio Pochettino names his U.S. men's national team World Cup roster, several key questions remain unanswered following the USMNT's recent losses to Belgium and Portugal. The team's defensive vulnerabilities, Christian Pulisic's scoring struggles, and the performances of fringe players vying for roster spots are all areas of concern as the World Cup rapidly approaches.

Why it matters

The USMNT is aiming to make a strong showing on home soil at the World Cup, but Pochettino still has work to do to solidify his lineup and tactics. The team's defensive issues, Pulisic's form, and the depth of the player pool will all be crucial factors in determining the USMNT's success in the tournament.

The details

The USMNT have struggled to keep clean sheets, conceding five goals to Belgium and two to Portugal in their recent friendlies. Pochettino acknowledged the need to find the right balance between the team's high-pressing, attack-minded approach and defensive solidity. Christian Pulisic, the team's star attacker, has also gone through a goalscoring drought, last finding the net for the USMNT in November 2024. Pochettino remains confident Pulisic will rediscover his scoring touch, but the competition for forward spots is heating up with players like Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi impressing. Several fringe players also failed to cement their place in the World Cup squad during the March friendlies, leaving Pochettino with difficult decisions to make.

  • Pochettino plans to name his World Cup roster on May 26, shortly before the USMNT's final pre-tournament friendlies against Senegal and Germany.
  • The USMNT's World Cup group stage schedule includes matches against Paraguay on June 12, Australia on June 19, and Turkiye on June 26.

The players

Mauricio Pochettino

The head coach of the U.S. men's national team, appointed in 2024.

Christian Pulisic

The 27-year-old forward for AC Milan and the USMNT, who is currently in a goalscoring drought.

Weston McKennie

The USMNT midfielder who has developed a newfound goalscoring ability.

Folarin Balogun

An in-form forward vying for a spot on the USMNT's World Cup roster.

Ricardo Pepi

An in-form forward vying for a spot on the USMNT's World Cup roster.

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What they’re saying

“[We need to figure] out the little things that we can do that doesn't leave us exposed in some situations if we do lose the ball, but also just having the confidence to finish the chances that we have early on because I do think our type of game that we play is very energetic and more high press but we want to be structured. If we're not finishing chances, we want to be able to hold the game to a 0-0 type thing and not allow the opponents to score.”

— Weston McKennie

“I think he was very active and I think he [did] a good job. I think he was involved in too many actions. Unlucky, a shame a little bit that he didn't score with the opportunity that he has. It's normal … Yes, he feels frustrated, but that is what we want, what we expect, but he was fighting, he was committed in the phases that we demand more, and then with the ball, he's going to score because he has the quality. I am sure that he is going to come back to his club and in the moment he scores, he's going to start to score again.”

— Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach

What’s next

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The takeaway

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