The USMNT Countdown to the 2026 World Cup: Key Player Analysis
With the September international window now closed, players from the United States men’s national team (USMNT) have returned to their clubs. Now, the race to reach their best form ahead of the October window has begun. For some players, this means making the most of club changes. For others, it’s about solidifying their place in the starting eleven. Then there are those who are on the periphery, trying to do everything possible to get regular playing time. Regardless of each person’s situation, last week turned out to be momentous for several USMNT players. Throughout the season, Alofoke Deportes will be monitoring the progress of the group of American players, providing information on those whose performance or physical condition has made them particularly interesting. We call it the USMNT Countdown to the World Cup.Each week, we will count down to June 11th so that, when the United States team for the World Cup is announced, no name on that list of 26 players is a surprise.
Contents
USMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 2.0: Balogun, Zendejas rise
Zendejas’ starring role has come at the right time for USMNT
Top 50 USMNT players, ranked by club form
Ricardo Pepi
Forward | PSV Eindhoven Minutes 2025-26: 216 FotMob Rating 2025-26: 7.2The fight for the number 9 position is open
Pepi’s week had ups and downs. On Saturday, he returned to the starting lineup with PSV and seized the opportunity, scoring goals on both sides of halftime, one with his right foot and another with his head, to lead PSV to a 5-3 victory over NEC Nijmegen. On Tuesday, against Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Champions League, he conceded a penalty in the 3-1 defeat. In general terms, at least Pepi is re-establishing himself in the starting eleven. That should continue given the competition for the starting striker position, which has intensified thanks to Folarin Balogun’s performance during the September international window. The coming weeks will focus on establishing consistency before the October international window.Tim Weah
Attacker | Marseille Minutes 2025-26: 319 FotMob Rating 2025-26: 6.9Responding to pressure for positions
Much of the buzz at the end of the September window centered on Alejandro Zendejas’ performance and how his goal against Japan had led him to fight for more playing time, possibly at the expense of Weah. And what did Weah do? He went out and scored against Real Madrid, no less, at the Santiago Bernabéu, with a clever run that allowed his teammate Mason Greenwood to set him up and shoot at goal against Thibaut Courtois. It was Weah’s first goal for his new club after arriving from Juventus in the summer, and although OM ultimately fell 2-1, Weah showed that he is not going to give up his place in the USMNT’s starting eleven without a fight.Gio Reyna
Attacker | Borussia Mönchengladbach Minutes 2025-26: 74 FotMob Rating 2025-26: 7.0Is the comeback underway?
Reyna officially debuted with Gladbach last weekend. For the team, it was a match to forget, as Werder Bremen dealt the foals a harsh 4-0 home defeat, costing coach Gerardo Seoane his job. For Reyna, personally, his 74 minutes had some positive vibes. While he only completed 21 of 31 passes, he was involved in Gladbach’s best plays and should have had an assist when he created a chance for Robin Hack, who missed the target from 12 yards. Reyna even had the most ball recoveries on the team, with seven. Reyna would undoubtedly have preferred a better team performance, but for him it’s a start, one he hopes to build on, even with a new coach in charge.The ideal eleven
Among the stories that emerged from the international window for the USMNT was the deployment of the three-defender line. It’s a formation that suits the personnel in many ways. Defensively, it provides a bit more cover for full-backs Sergiño Dest and Max Arfsten, the better for them to play to their strengths in the attacking half. There is less space for Ream to have to cover. Who occupies the third center-back spot is a toss-up at the moment between Mark McKenzie and Cameron Carter-Vickers. Do you choose the player who plays in one of the top five leagues, even though his form has dipped a bit in recent weeks, or a player from the dominant team in Scotland? For now, I’m sticking with McKenzie, given that his potential is greater. As such, this week’s ideal eleven uses that formation. The inclusion of Arfsten is due to two factors. One, he excelled in that role during the September window, assisting on Zendejas’ goal, and he plays in that position for his club, Columbus Crew. The other is that Antonee Robinson continues to be brought along slowly at Fulham. He was an unused substitute in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Leeds United. There is no doubt that Robinson will regain his place once his fitness improves. He certainly has the attacking ability in terms of delivery from the wing to excel as a full-back. Until then, however, Arfsten gets the nod. The goalkeeper position is still under observation. Matt Turner’s form has declined a bit, his goals prevented per 90 minutes have fallen to -0.2, after the New Club Bounce that occurred upon his return to the New England Revolution. And given Matt Freese’s solid performance during the recent international window, as well as with New York City FC, he is in the ideal eleven of this week.Probably the biggest question mark is who plays alongside Tyler Adams in the center of midfield. Johnny Cardoso, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris, and Cristian Roldan can be counted among the candidates. Tessmann is getting the most playing time in one of the top five leagues, so he keeps his place for now.
Big Board 2.0 Update
Alofoke Deportes’ USMNT Big Board 2.0 was launched earlier this month, and each Big Board will provide the basis for weekly player updates. Below are the minutes and ratings of the players for each of those 37 players. Matt Turner, goalkeeper, New England Revolution: 540 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 7.0 in 2025. Matt Freese, goalkeeper, New York City FC: 2,520 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 7.1 in 2025. Zack Steffen, goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids: 2,070 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 7.0 in 2025. Patrick Schulte, goalkeeper, Columbus Crew: 2,250 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 6.8 in 2025. Chris Richards, center-back, Crystal Palace: 569 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 7.2 in 2025-26. Tim Ream, central defender, Charlotte FC: 2,072 minutes in 2025; FotMob Rating 6.6 in 2025. Ream continues to turn back the clock with his performances for Charlotte. The Crown has won nine straight matches, conceding only four goals in that time, with Ream completing 93.1% of his passes and winning 60% of his duels in that span. Mark McKenzie, central defender, Toulouse: 360 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 6.7 in 2025-26. Cameron Carter-Vickers, central defender, Celtic: 570 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 7.7 in 2025-26. Miles Robinson, center-back, FC Cincinnati: 2,348 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 6.9 in 2025. Auston Trusty, central defender, Celtic: 152 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 6.4 in 2025-26. Tristan Blackmon, center-back, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,880 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 7.2 in 2025. Sergiño Dest, full-back, PSV Eindhoven: 622 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 7.7 in 2025-26. Antonee Robinson, fullback, Fulham: 51 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 6.2 in 2025-26. Joe Scally, full-back, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 265 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 7.2 in 2025-26. Caleb Wiley, full-back, Watford: 0 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 0.0 in 2025-26. The Chelsea loanee defender has been dealing with back and adductor injuries, but returned to partial training last week. The hope is that he can return to first-team action with Watford soon. Max Arfsten, fullback, Columbus Crew: 2,502 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 7.5 in 2025. Alex Freeman, defender, Orlando City SC: 2,712 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 7.5 in 2025. Tyler Adams, midfielder, AFC Bournemouth: 374 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 7.0 in 2025-26. Weston McKennie, midfielder, Juventus: 141 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 6.7 in 2025-26. Count McKennie as the latest USMNT player to register minutes as a full-back, joining Musah and Weah, who have been deployed in that position recently. It’s not McKennie’s preferred position, but it could be the way forward for him to not only get consistent playing time with Juve, but also secure a call-up in October with the USMNT. Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Atlético Madrid: 185 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 6.8 in 2025-26. Luca de la Torre, midfielder, San Diego FC: 2,237 minutes in 2025; FotMob rating 6.8 in 2025. Tanner Tessmann, midfielder, Lyon: 360 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 7.3 in 2025-26. Yunus Musah, midfielder, Atalanta: 203 minutes in 2025-26; FotMob rating 6.3 in 2025-26. Following Musah’s late transfer to Atalanta, he debuted in the 4-1 victory over Lecce, not only registering 14 minutes, but doing so in his preferred role as a central midfielder. He played 75 minutes in the 4-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
