Mauricio Pochettino’s Five Best USMNT Wingers for Long-Term Success

If U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino really has ambitions of turning the team into a global superpower by the 2030 World Cup, then he’ll need players that can dominate the wings.

I’m talking high quality attackers that can get end-to-end at the speed of light, isolate defenders to burn them one-on-one, create gaps in a backline and deliver brilliant services into the box. He’ll need players that poised on the ball, yet have enough edge to be brave and take dangerous chances.

Pochettino has several strong candidates in his player pool. As he scours the ranks, here are the best long-term wingers at his disposal that are capable of dominating the flanks at the 2030 World Cup.

5. Tim Weah

weah fighting for ball — Tim Weah is a two-time World Cup player. | Frederic J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

26-year-old Tim Weah has been overlooked by Pochettino in recent time, but he has proved on countless occasions that he has what it takes to deliver on the international stage.

Once a stalwart on the flanks for the USMNT and a founding member of the squad’s “golden generation,” Weah was a rather unused substitute at the 2026 World Cup. He featured just 18 minutes off the bench in the group stage opener against Paraguay before logging under an hour in the dead rubber loss to Türkiye.

But he harbors several important virtues for Pochettino. On the one hand, despite his young age, he is now a two-time World Cup player that also has experience playing overseas in Europe. The Marseille star has competed at the highest levels, offering critical veteran experience and leadership amid the team’s youthful revolution.

On the other hand, Weah is extremely versatile. He plays right back and right wingback in Ligue 1, having mastered the ability to get box-to-box, while still providing a strong defensive presence. His most recent club match against Angers is the perfect example. He had two assists off of seven passes into the final third, yet he also made seven defensive contributions, including a clutch slide tackle.

4. Mathis Albert

albert looking back — Mathis Albert has a bright future ahead of him. | David Berding/USSF/Getty Images

What is most exciting about young Mathis Albert is his pure potential.

The 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund player, who, this spring, became the youngest American ever to play in the German Bundesliga, has showed glimpses of it at both the club and international levels.

In his debut camp with the USMNT this fall, Albert played a key role in the wins over both Peru and Chile. Against Peru, just five minutes after substituting onto the pitch, he won the USMNT a penalty kick, which Malik Tillman easily buried. The youngster’s tenacity and immediate impact deeply impressed Pochettino.

“First action on the pitch? Bang, aggressive. Receive and go,” Pochettino exclaimed post-match. “...He goes ‘I want to go, I want to play, I want to show.’ That’s what we need, and that’s why I’m so happy.”

Then against Chile, Albert scored for himself in stoppage time, briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history at 17 years, 131 days old, before the record was reclaimed by teammate Cavan Sullivan.

Albert’s promise has earned him the attentions of several of Europe’s premier clubs. By 2030, he could be simply unstoppable.

3. Sergiño Dest

dest fighting for ball — Sergiño Dest was a World Cup starter this summer. | Al Sermeno/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Another one of the founding members of the “golden generation,” 25-year-old Sergiño Dest claimed the right flank at the World Cup this summer, starting four of the five matches.

Formerly a right fullback for the USMNT, including at the 2022 World Cup, and still fullback for club side PSV Eindhoven, Dest boasts the defensive capabilities that are often still important to have in a winger.

It’s his explosiveness and dizzying foot skills that truly set him apart, though. He was unable to generate any goal contributions this summer; however, it was those two attributes in particular that put backlines on their heels, creating moments of weakness that Dest’s teammates then exploited.

He was rather unused by Pochettino during the fall international window, suggesting his starting position is anything but secure.

2. Christian Pulisic

pulisic up close — Christian Pulisic has experienced a serious downturn in form but is nonetheless the face of the USMNT. | John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images

No matter how tumultuous Christian Pulisic’s career has been as of late, there is no way he wasn’t going to make the top half of this list.

When “Captain America” is playing at his best, there is no one better. He is the epitome of the player that defenders fear most, harboring an ability to weave through a backline as if gliding on skates.

The 28-year-old’s poor World Cup performance—failing to deliver more than 45 quality minutes on the grand stage—may have let the nation down and mean that he is no longer the face of the USMNT; however, Pochettino would be foolish to write him off completely.

Pulisic is already in the process of reigniting his club career with AC Milan, cracking back into the starting lineup under new manager Ruben Amorim.

1. Cavan Sullivan

sullivan celebrating — Cavan Sullivan is the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history. | Taylor Banner/USSF/Getty Images

If Pulisic is no longer the face of the USMNT, then Sullivan is.

The teenager may only have three caps at the senior level, but he has gained worldwide attention for his talents on the pitch, turning 17 years old just last month.

The Philadelphia Union star took Major League Soccer by storm this summer and is now up to seven goals and 14 assists in 20 matches started. He had a run of 10 straight league matches with at least one goal contribution this fall and broke a whole host of league records.

Some worried about how his talents would translate to the international stage; however, he proved equally impressive there. He became the USMNT’s youngest goalscorer in history at 17 years and five days old, scoring against the team’s biggest rival, Mexico, no less.

Sullivan’s play is defined by his swagger. He is not afraid to take on players, no matter how much older or more experienced they are. He is ruthless and determined. He is the present and the future of the USMNT.

RANK YOUR BEST USMNT WINGERS

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