Which USMNT players need to have a strong summer to improve their chances for the 2026 World Cup roster?
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Having now ticked past the one-year mark ahead of the 2026 World Cup, everyone in the U.S. men's national team player pool is now feeling the pressure. Positional battles are intensifying and there is a demand for results, particularly from the group of players involved in this summer's Gold Cup.
With many of the team's top stars out of action – including starters such as Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie – this Gold Cup has become a proving ground. Those on the fringes will play their way into, or out of, contention.
Those fighting for starting roles will have to make their own cases to Mauricio Pochettino . There's bound to be one or two surprises in the squad next summer, too, and this Gold Cup could very well be the launching pad.
There are several familiar faces in the team with points to prove. We're not talking Tyler Adams or Chris Richards, both of whom are relatively safe given their performances for club and country. But other USMNT veterans find themselves with plenty to play for.
Which USMNT players are under the most pressure to perform in this Gold Cup? GOAL takes a look.
Getty Images SportMatt Turner
No doubt about this one. Of all the players in the squad, Turner might not be the one with the most to gain, but he's definitely the one with the most to lose.
This summer is very much Turner's audition, or re-audition, for the No. 1 goalkeeping spot. Unfortunately for him, he flubbed his first chance against Switzerland, conceding four, including one that he parried straight into the path of Breel Embolo. It wasn't the start he needed, to put it lightly, and Turner knows that more than anyone
"Obviously, I hope to play every game at the Gold Cup, but I don't think that my performance tonight necessarily warrants being the out-and-out starter all the time," Turner said after the game. "For me, I'm just going to continue to work hard in training and try to earn my opportunities when they present themselves."
Turner will surely get more opportunities and, according to reports, his much-discussed club situation is set to change via a move to Lyon. On the road to 2026, though, the goalkeeper will still need to earn Pochettino's unequivocal trust, and the fastest way to do that will be by having a solid Gold Cup run. If not, there are plenty of other contenders that will believe they can provide more stability.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesJohnny Cardoso
Another player that made a mistake leading to a goal in the past week, and another that has a real fight on his hands to earn some trust.
As good as he's been in La Liga, Cardoso has never really shone with the USMNT. That narrative has followed him throughout the past year, and it grew even louder after he smashed the ball off Arda Guler and into the back of the USMNT's net in the loss to Turkey. After that match, Cardoso's teammates were quick to support him. It was a mistake, for sure, but one that many have made at some point, as inexcusable as it was.
"He's a top, top player in his position," Tyler Adams said after the loss. "He's played in so many big games now and obviously, had a great season with Betis as well. You have those moments in your career, and sometimes it feels like the world's going against you. He's a top pro. The way that he trains every single day, the way that he brings his mentality every single day, he'll make a turn, and it will be fine. He's going to be an important player for us."
This summer, Carodso has to prove Adams right. He's done so many good things at Real Betis, but, until those performances translate to a USMNT shirt, there will be questions asking how much, if at all, Cardoso can contribute to the World Cup team.
Getty ImagesMalik Tillman
From the first moments of that first camp in charge, Pochettino saw something familiar in Tillman.
"Malik, we need to use our experience to challenge him to try and compete in this way," Pochettino explained in the fall. "If Malik competes in a way that is similar to Dele Alli, he has the capacity, the talent, the body, the power…everything. He has character that he needs to express a little bit more, but he has that talent."
Tillman, like Cardoso, hasn't always showcased that talent in a USMNT shirt. Despite scoring a combined 25 goals over the last two seasons in the Eredivisie, the attacking midfielder has yet to hit the back of the net in 19 USMNT caps. Much of that is, admittedly, due to the nature of those appearances, multiple of which have come off the bench. Still, Tillman has never exactly seized a USMNT game in the way he so often did with PSV this season en route to becoming one of the league's best players.
With Gio Reyna's own issues remaining a talking point, the No. 10 spot looks more open than it did just a few years ago. For Tillman, there's a starting spot for the taking if he can continue his growth in a USMNT shirt.
GettyMark McKenzie
When he's been on the field for the USMNT, McKenzie has largely been good. However, there have been several notable mistakes and, at center-back, every mishap is magnified.
There was another one this week in the loss to Switzerland, as McKenzie got blown by on the fourth and final Swiss goal. It happens, sure, but it certainly came at an inopportune time. McKenzie is currently battling to be the USMNT's starting center-back and, if he is going to be the guy next to Chris Richards, he needs to prove he can play something close to mistake-free soccer.
At a major tournament, everything is heightened, including errors. How much different would everything look if Tim Weah hadn't been sent off last summer? What happens if Chris Wondolowski finishes against Belgium? No need to get started with the referee's mistake involving Torsten Frings back in 2002.
The point is this: tournaments are decided by moments, and, as a defender, McKenzie still has to show that he can avoid the mishaps that decide those games.
