October 10th, 2017– the day when it all came crashing down. Sure, the internal structure of the United States Soccer Federation had been very close to imploding for years, but the US’s loss 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago, a team which had been out of the picture for World Cup qualification for the entire qualifying process, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. There is hope, though, that the US Soccer Federation (USSF) can rebuild. Gregg Berhalter, arguably the most respected manager in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the last 5 years, was hired to coach the team, with the ultimate goal being to go deep into the 2026 World Cup knockout stage. The US will host the 2026 World Cup along with Canada and Mexico, as a platform to establish themselves as an elite team. Here are the players most likely to be a part of the starting eleven for the US in 2026.
Goalkeeper: Zack Steffen
Steffen recently agreed to join Premier League powerhouse Manchester City. In his short time so far in MLS, he has cemented himself as the best goalkeeper in the league. He is particularly adept at stopping penalty kicks, carrying his current team, the Columbus Crew, deep into the MLS playoffs.
Right Back: DeAndre Yedlin
Yedlin has bounced around the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and now Newcastle United, where he starts. In addition to his incredible speed, he is also a great defender. He will be one of the few holdovers from the 2014 World Cup.
Center Back: John Brooks
Brooks has had some struggles playing in the German Bundesliga for Hertha Berlin and now Wolfsburg, but most of them can be attributed to injuries. When healthy, Brooks is actually one of the best defenders in the league– Wolfsburg’s recent struggles are not his fault.
Center Back: Matt Miazga
Matt Miazga was snapped up by Chelsea in January 2016, but he only started two games for the London club before being loaned out to Vitesse in the Netherlands and, this season, FC Nantes in the French Ligue 1. Miazga is a solid defender who should be starting for a top European team when 2026 rolls around.
Left Back: Antonee Robinson
Born in England to an American father, the speedy 20-year-old full back still has a ways to go before he is a regular starter for his parent club, Everton, but he has impressed on loan for Bolton and Wigan Athletic.
Right Midfield: Paul Arriola
Arriola was one of the brightest spots in DC United’s best MLS season in years. He possesses a lethal combination of speed, dribbling and vision not only to score goals, but to prevent them as well– he was deployed at right back for DC many times last year.
Central Midfield: Weston McKennie
McKennie has been the glue holding the midfield of Bundesliga giants Schalke 04 together for the last few seasons. His tireless work ethic makes him a reliable box-to-box midfielder which lead Schalke to a second place finish in the Bundesliga in 2017-18, and at just 20, he is only getting better.
Central Midfield: Tyler Adams
Adams is so highly regarded that Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, infamous for poaching young talent from across the world, has decided to recall him from their MLS feeder team, New York Red Bulls. Adams is just 19, but he has displayed passing and defensive skills years beyond his age.
Left Midfield: Christian Pulisic
If he’s not already, Christian Pulisic will be the face of US Soccer for years to come. He has been touted as America’s answer to superstars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo– and he recently completed a transfer to Chelsea for $73 million– that’s more than Arsenal paid for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the current top scorer in the Premier League. Pulisic will be the catalyst for most, if not all, of the goals that the US scores at the tournament.
Striker: Josh Sargent
While the goal of US Soccer for the next few years is to develop as much young talent as possible, the movement is unofficially focused around three players– Pulisic, Adams and Sargent. If there is a loose ball or rebound in the box, Sargent is there to put it in the back of the net. His speed and positional awareness have drawn comparisons to other “fox-in-the-box” type players such as Antoine Griezmann and Zlatan Ibrahimovic– not bad for an 18 year old. If that’s not convincing enough, Sargent made his debut for German club Werder Bremen in the 76th minute of a game, and scored his first goal for them in the 78th minute of that same game.
Striker: Tim Weah
Fans who have yet to be sold on Tim Weah think that he is only riding the coattails of his famous father, George Weah– arguably the best African player of all time, and the President of Liberia. Make no mistake, however: Tim is the real deal. Progressing through the ranks of the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy, Weah will spend six months on loan with Scottish club Celtic, where he will have more opportunities to prove why he’s one of the world’s most promising forwards.
Bench: GK Ethan Horvath, RB Shaq Moore, CB Cameron Carter-Vickers, CM Chris Durkin, CM Kellyn Acosta, LM/RM Jonathan Amon, ST Haji Wright
