Five USMNT players who boosted their chances of a World Cup roster spot

The US Men’s National Team’s Gold Cup campaign ended with defeat to Mexico in Sunday’s final, bringing a challenging summer to a close for Mauricio Pochettino and his players.

While the USMNT might not have ended the tournament with silverware to show for their efforts, some progress was made. Pochettino settled on a framework and a consistent starting lineup, but he’ll have to reconcile that with the array of missing would-be starters from the roster. As he heads into the home stretch of a World Cup year, which Gold Cup players made the greatest impact and have a shot at being consistent call-ups?

Here are five players who did enough at the Gold Cup to boost their chances of being an important figure for the USA at the 2026 World Cup.

Patrick Agyemang

No player divides the USMNT support at this moment in time like Patrick Agyemang. Many believe the Charlotte FC striker lacks the all-round attacking threat to lead the line for the national team. It’s certainly true that Agyemang plays with a rawness that makes him unpredictable and frequently frustrating.

However, that same unpredictability also makes him useful. Agyemang is physically strong and is faster than many give him credit for. He has also scored five goals in his 11 appearances for the USMNT, including two at the Gold Cup. Pochettino started him in all six Gold Cup games and saw enough to stick with him.

Agyemang joins a growing list of strikers who have yet to stake their claim on the starting job. Consistency, chemistry, and chance creation will determine who joins the roster. Given the unique hold-up dimension that he brings, Agyemang has a reasonable chance at inclusion going forward.

Matt Freese

Pochettino made clear from early on that the 2025 Gold Cup would be used as an audition for a new starting goalkeeper, with Matt Freese handed the jersey. It might have been Zack Steffen or Patrick Schulte instead – had either not suffered an injury before the start of the tournament – but Freese ended up between the posts, and staked his claim on it.

The New York City FC shot-stopper was the hero for the US as they edged past Costa Rica in the quarter-finals, making three saves in the shootout. However, Freese also coughed up a goal against Haiti in the group stage and looked shaky against Guatemala in the semi-finals. Nonetheless, he is in the discussion for a starting spot at the World Cup, such is the USMNT’s lack of a clear number one.

Diego Luna

No USMNT player has embraced Pochettino’s ideas and attitude more readily than Diego Luna. The Real Salt Lake playmaker has quickly become one of the Argentine’s most trusted players and delivered to a certain extent for the national team at the Gold Cup, scoring twice in the semi-final to send the USA to the final.

Luna might have made an even bigger impact, but was underwhelming in the final against Mexico when the 21-year-old struggled to get on the ball. Nonetheless, Luna is firmly in the picture for a place in Pochettino’s squad for the 2026 World Cup and could even feature prominently at the tournament on home soil.

Chris Richards

While Chris Richards was already expected to play a role for the USA at the 2026 World Cup before the Gold Cup, this summer saw the Crystal Palace centre back secure his position as Pochettino’s dominant defender. Indeed, the 25-year-old was the USA’s best and most reliable performer at the tournament.

Richards wasn’t just a solid defender at the back, he was also a set piece threat, finding the back of the net twice in six games. The Palace centre back formed a relationship with Tim Ream, giving Pochettino a strong foundation. Ream’s lack of pace is a concern, but Richards does a lot to mask some of his partner’s deficiencies.

Malik Tillman

Malik Tillman is going through a pivotal period in his career for club and country. The 23-year-old is on the brink of making the move to Bayer Leverkusen from PSV as the Bundesliga club’s replacement for Florian Wirtz. He was one of the USMNT’s standout performers over the course of the Gold Cup.

Tillman was an influential figure for the USA in the final third of the pitch. He is versatile and can play in several positions across the attacking line and can even operate in central midfield. As a professed favorite of Poch, Tillman is certainly in the picture for a place in the World Cup squad – and could even be a starter at the tournament.