Goals, defense, locker room vibes. Each of the 26 players selected to the U.S. men’s national team for the 2026 World Cup is going to have a big role.
But some are going to be bigger than others.
FOX Sports analysts Landon Donovan, Stu Holden, Cobi Jones, and Alexi Lalas – all former U.S. men’s team stars who’ve been on the big stage – make their picks of which four players will be instrumental to a big USMNT run at next summer’s 48-team extravaganza.
(Photo by Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Age: 27
Position: Forward
Club: AC Milan (Italy)
Stu Holden: The first and obvious name is Christian Pulisic. He is the U.S.’s star player and I truly believe that the U.S. will only go as far as Pulisic can take them. What I mean by that is, in the international game, when you get to the knockout stage of a tournament, the teams are pretty similar in certain areas of the field, and we always say that games are decided in the boxes. Having a guy that can consistently finish off a play like he did in Qatar is huge.
When I think of 2010, Landon was our star player. He made the difference against Algeria, made that play late in the game to win our group, and we get to the next round. He has to be healthy, he has to be confident, he has to be in sync with his teammates, but he is a guy that, even though we’ve had some good performances without him in different moments recently, when it comes to the best teams in the world, and when the U.S. is having to play against a Netherlands or an Argentina or a Spain, and you’re going to get that one chance in the game, you want that chance to fall to the feet of Christian Pulisic.
(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Age: 25
Position: Defender
Club: Crystal Palace (England)
Alexi Lalas: It’s very, very rare, but every once in a while, I’m wrong. I will raise my hand and say I didn’t see it when Chris Richards first came onto the scene, and I think that that’s fair; I can defend that. But I think he has grown by leaps and bounds, and it’s been wonderful to see — so much so that I think he’s in as a starter.
I think he is crucial to the U.S. because it’s all fine and well to talk about scoring goals — and, yes, we want to do that — but the reality is, especially as you get further in the tournament and get matched up with better and better teams, you’re going to need defense, and you’re going to need defenders, and I think he’s coming into what is obviously a home World Cup, but I also think he’s coming in with incredible confidence.
I love his personality, I love his smile, there is a ruthlessness that has crept into his game, but I hope that he doesn’t lose the joy that he seems to have and the smile that he has. I don’t think he will, and I think this stage is set up for him to succeed.
(Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
