Mauricio Pochettino unveiled his 28-man United States men’s national team squad, dropping Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun while calling up 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan and 12 other potential debutants for four upcoming friendlies ahead of the 2030 World Cup cycle.
Mauricio Pochettino Shakes Up USMNT Roster for Post-World Cup Cycle
The United States men’s national team is turning the page following this summer’s World Cup, and manager Mauricio Pochettino is wasting no time establishing a strict meritocracy. In his first squad announcement of the new cycle, the manager left out several stalwarts, most notably Christian Pulisic, alongside striker Folarin Balogun and midfielder Weston McKennie according to reporting by The Guardian.
Pochettino signaled a clean break from past performances as the program looks ahead to the 2030 tournament in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Nine selections enter the upcoming international window with at least 30 senior caps, including defenders Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Antonee Robinson, and Sergiño Dest, alongside midfielders Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman, and Gio Reyna, and striker Ricardo Pepi. Eight of those experienced players featured in the 2026 World Cup squad, while Musah returns for his first call-up since before the 2025 Gold Cup.
I think we need to change the idea a little bit, everyone to say ‘no, that name need to be here because of the past performance. No, no. It’s a fresh start.
Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT Manager
Pochettino added that past achievements hold no weight for current selection. It’s about today. Football is about today. Soccer is about today, and that is the way that we want to build that process in this cycle
the manager stated, noting that while all players retain open doors, historical production like scoring goals or starring in a previous World Cup guarantees nothing.
Cavan Sullivan Highlights a Wave of 13 Potential Debutants
The most eye-catching inclusion in the 28-man roster is 16-year-old Philadelphia Union phenom Cavan Sullivan, who is poised to make his senior international debut as reported by The Guardian. Sullivan is one of 13 players who could earn their first senior caps across upcoming friendlies against Peru, Chile, Canada, and Mexico scheduled between September 26 and October 6. Should he step onto the pitch, Sullivan will become the fourth-youngest player to represent the United States, keeping Freddy Adu’s long-standing age record intact.
Sullivan has enjoyed a blistering run of form with Philadelphia under interim coach Ryan Richter following Major League Soccer’s World Cup break, logging six goals and five assists in 1,368 league minutes. He turns 17 on September 28, sandwiched between the team’s friendlies against Peru and Chile. He is joined in camp by club teammates and fellow defenders Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield.
“The important thing is … to be with him and to try to provide a solid pattern and support, because still he needs to show [what he can do], and needs to improve, and needs to evolve, and needs to be more mature. He’s only 16, he’s a kid, but I think the most important is that we have the opportunity now because he deserved to join us in the national team.”
Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT Manager
Pochettino’s youth movement extends across several domestic and international prospects. Zavier Gozo joins the squad after transferring from Real Salt Lake to Crystal Palace, while 18-year-old Peyton Miller makes the cut after featuring on the right wing for New England. In goal, 20-year-old Barcelona product Diego Kochen—currently starting on loan at Lyngby in Denmark—and 25-year-old Nashville SC backstop Brian Schwake join Matt Freese and Chris Brady as uncapped options according to Guardian analysis. Red Bull New York teenagers Julian Hall, MLS’s top-scoring teenager with nine goals, and 17-year-old midfield anchor Adri Mehmeti also earned selection.
Christian Pulisic and Star Omissions Spark Roster Questions
The notable absence of Christian Pulisic stems from a strained relationship with his manager that dates back to the summer of 2025, according to reporting by Doug McIntyre for FOX Soccer. Pulisic skipped the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup—which the United States narrowly lost to rival Mexico—to be his best self for the World Cup, drawing a sharp reaction from Pochettino at the time.
While Pulisic suffered a microfracture after subbing out of the team’s final World Cup match against Belgium and subsequently missed time with AC Milan under manager Ruben Amorim, injury is not the primary driver behind his omission as detailed by FOX Soccer. Pulisic is currently fully healthy and recently returned to the starting lineup for Milan.
Other high-profile omissions include Weston McKennie, who has missed most of Juventus’s season with muscle fatigue, and Folarin Balogun, whose absence likely stems from a lack of regular minutes following a failed transfer to Everton noted in Guardian coverage. The shifting personnel landscape places immediate competitive pressure on established veterans while offering an extended audition to emerging talents as the squad prepares for its upcoming autumn friendlies.
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