After losing to Belgium in the 2026 World Cup, the United States national team will soon begin a new cycle to build toward 2030.
Projecting the player pool four years out is nearly impossible, but when looking at the U.S. national team player pool and the status of the youth teams, there are certainly some players who are worth following closely in the coming years, regardless of who coaches the team.
There are a few important things to consider when looking into the future. First, the U.S. national team player pool is going to see many key players of this 2026 player pool either age out or be past their prime years. Tim Weah and Chris Richards will be 30. Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Mark McKenzie will all be 31. Haji Wright, Alex Zendejas and Antonee Robinson will be 32. And of course, Tim Ream will be 42.
Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic, along with their American teammates, during the 2026 World Cup. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Players in their 30s can still be vital to any team’s World Cup effort, but the U.S. has a critical mass of players turning 30 where, unless the player pool shifts younger in the coming years, the team will be one of the oldest teams at the 2030 World Cup.
And as the team shifts younger, there will be several measuring sticks along the way.
The USMNT player pool will benefit from the U.S. hosting the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. That is going to be instrumental for many top prospects to bridge the gap between the youth national teams and the senior teams.
On top of that, there will potentially be important U-20 World Cups in 2027 and 2029, if the U.S. qualifies. That has traditionally been an important stepping stone for top national team players.
Plus, there will be players who simply missed out on this 2026 World Cup but who will be in their prime years in 2030.
Let’s look at the strongest candidates for the USA’s 2030 World Cup roster.
Highly Likely: Center back Chris Richards, winger Christian Pulisic, striker Folarin Balogun, midfielder Tyler Adams, midfielder Malik Tillman, striker Ricardo Pepi
A Good Chance: Midfielder Weston McKennie, right-winger Tim Weah, right-winger Sergiño Dest, right back Alex Freeman
Will Have To Fight For It: Winger Gio Reyna, right back Joe Scally, goalkeeper Matt Freese, goalkeeper Matt Turner, left back Max Arfsten, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, goalkeeper Chris Brady, winger Brenden Aaronson, striker Haji Wright, center back Auston Trusty, center back Mark McKenzie, winger Alejandro Zendejas
Unlikely To Return: Center back Tim Ream, fullback Antonee Robinson, midfielder Cristian Roldan, center back Miles Robinson
Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match against Paraguay. (Photo by Dave Bernal/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Diego Luna: The Real Salt Lake attacking midfielder and winger was injured at the start of 2026, and it likely cost him a spot on the World Cup team. Luna impressed Mauricio Pochettino for most of 2025, including at the Gold Cup and in the year’s final friendly, a 5-1 win over Uruguay where he scored. He still remains one of the better and more fearless playmakers in the pool, and, at 22 years old, he will be right in his prime for 2030.
Tanner Tessmann: The 24-year-old Lyon midfielder and 2024 Olympic team captain was the most widely discussed omission from the 2023 player pool, given how few central midfielders made the team. Tessmann did not play in Lyon’s final two games of the season, and it is not clear if that played a role in his omission. But Tessmann’s career remains on the upswing with one of France’s biggest teams, and he will be continuing to play at a high level for the years ahead.
Tanner Tessmann dribbles during a game between USA and Portugal. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Patrick Agyemang: The Derby County striker emerged with the U.S. team in 2025, and he made a smooth transition from MLS to the Championship. He appeared to be a good fit for Pochettino’s U.S. team but was derailed by an Achilles injury. If he can recover well, he will be in the mix.
Aidan Morris: Morris has been a top midfielder in the Championship and nearly got Middlesbrough promoted. The former Columbus Crew midfielder has a solid reputation in England that he should continue to make strides in the coming years. He was likely among the last cut for 2026 and should get more looks.
Jack McGlynn: The Houston Dynamo midfielder had poorly timed injuries this past cycle, but he still has one of the best left foots in the greater player pool. Whoever is managing the player pool will want to give a solid look.
Zavier Gozo of Real Salt Lake during a match against Los Angeles Galaxy in April 2026. (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
Julian Hall: Despite only being 18 years old, Hall already has 12 goals in all competitions this season for the New York Red Bulls. He is known for his sophisticated moves inside the attacking box to get on the end of passes for close-range goals.
Mathis Albert: The Borussia Dortmund midfielder made his Bundesliga debut last season at just 16. He is now 17 and set to begin a full preseason with the club’s first team. He still needs to get out of the youth levels to be in the full national team, but that should happen sooner rather than later. In the meantime, there is the U.S. U-20 team and the Olympic team coming up where he should be a key player.
Diego Kochen: The young Barcelona goalkeeper has spent time training with the full national team, and he is likely going to be the starter for the Olympic team. This will be a big upcoming year for Kochen, as he will be on loan with Lyngby, which was just promoted to the Danish Superliga. This will help him learn to deal with the responsibility of first-team minutes.
Luca Bombino: The San Diego FC left back has an opening on the full national team as Antonee Robinson might show signs of aging in the coming years. Bombino does not have elite athleticism, but he is a very good player and was a key contributor to San Diego FC’s success in 2025. A veteran of the 2025 U-20 World Cup team, he is likely the frontrunner for the left-back job on the 2028 Olympic team.
Luca Bombino of San Diego FC controls the ball during a game against Austin FC in May 2026. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
