Will key US absences hurt the 2026 World Cup? USMNT analysis.

United States in the Gold Cup: Ready for the 2026 World Cup?

The United States men’s soccer team has successfully advanced through the Gold Cup group stage, securing three consecutive victories against Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, and Haiti. Under the direction of coach Mauricio Pochettino, the team advances with momentum towards the quarterfinals against Costa Rica in Minneapolis. Despite the good performance, a key question resonates in the American soccer field: Where are the team’s best players? For various reasons, such as injuries and club commitments, the USMNT is currently without several key figures, including Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, and Christian Pulisic. Although it is common for alternative teams to be formed in the Gold Cup, the proximity of the FIFA World Cup raises questions about the impact this could have on the team’s evolution under Pochettino’s direction.

“You never know which players will be available in six months, who will be injured, who will be playing at their clubs… I don’t think [the time] is as important as most people think. I think you can put the team together at the end,” commented Tab Ramos.

Tab Ramos

Since March 2024, the team hasn’t had Dest, Robinson, McKennie, Pulisic, and Tyler Adams together on the field. Furthermore, under Pochettino’s management, they have played sporadically, with Pulisic being the only one to have exceeded 350 minutes of play.

The lack of familiarity among the players could affect the team’s performance on the world stage. Ramos suggests that this could diminish the chances of success, as the opportunity to try different combinations and strategies is lost. Mark McKenzie, team defender, trusts in the team’s ability to create cohesion, highlighting the importance of seizing every opportunity to build and strengthen the team’s chemistry. Hugo Pérez, former USMNT midfielder and coach of players like Pulisic, McKennie, and Adams in their youth years, agrees that Pochettino knows the core of players and that the Gold Cup can be an opportunity to evaluate MLS players. Pérez emphasizes the need for the team to develop a more varied game identity, which includes the ability to maintain ball possession and exploit spaces. He considers this strategy crucial to compete at the highest level. In the last 12 months, the United States has played only nine competitive matches, while Argentina and Spain, South American and European champions respectively, played 14 matches.

The lack of qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, due to the United States being a co-host, has limited testing and analysis opportunities. Recent results in the 2024 Copa América and the CONCACAF Nations League have been less favorable. Ramos highlights the need to develop chemistry on the field through experience in difficult matches. Pérez believes that time is sufficient, especially with a longer summer training camp, but emphasizes the importance of Pochettino making the most of his stars.

Pérez also dismisses the idea that players prioritize their careers in foreign clubs, arguing that playing in competitive leagues like the Premier League or Serie A helps their individual growth. Furthermore, he points out that these players have played together before and keep in touch, so the chemistry shouldn’t be a problem. Brenden Aaronson, a member of the Gold Cup team, believes there is enough time to prepare for the World Cup, and that friendly matches are just as important as international matches.

With the Gold Cup underway and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, the American team faces the challenge of integrating its stars and refining its strategy. Time will tell if the USMNT is truly ready to compete on the world stage.