USMNT Projected 2026 November Roster—Locks, Fringe Players, Newcomers

The U.S. men’s national team is back in action next week, convening on Nov. 9 ahead of a two-match series against Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, the squad’s first competitive fixtures since the 2026 World Cup.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be adamant to select a squad that can extend the good fortune the Stars and Stripes experienced last month, winning all four fall friendlies for a perfect start to the post-World Cup era.

He is also expected to name a mix of seasoned veterans and budding young talents, as he did in September, expressly eager to curate his ideal 2030 World Cup roster as early as possible. However, unlike last international window, there is one major obstacle he must navigate that will likely force him to include less teenagers this go-around.

U.S. Soccer’s U-23 team is also expected to hold an international camp next week, jumpstarting preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which is a U-23 affair in the men’s soccer category. 12 of the 28 players Pochettino called up last month are age-eligible for that Olympic squad, all born after the Jan. 1, 2005 cutoff date.

Already in close conversations with Pochettino, Olympics team manager Steve Cherundolo will be given some preferential treatment when it comes to selecting his U-23 players this week, thus, making many of them ineligible for the senior squad this month. The 2028 Summer Olympics has heightened importance for U.S. Soccer, given it is taking place on home soil in Los Angeles. Pochettino has also openly expressed the importance of the competition as a preparatory step to the 2030 World Cup for many of his top young prospects.

With all of that in consideration, here is the projected roster Pochettino could name in the coming days.

The Starters and Roster Locks

adams clapping — Tyler Adams is the USMNT’s new captain. | Luke Hales/Getty Images

Tyler Adams is a guarantee to be included in Pochettino’s November roster. Not only is the 27-year-old defensive midfielder the USMNT’s new long-term captain, but he is also dominating at the domestic level with club side Bournemouth right now.

Pulling all of the strings for the Cherries, Adams has helped them to six-straight victories, all without conceding a single goal. The first-time European competitors recently thrashed seven-time champions AC Milan 3–0 in Europa League play, before downing Premier League giant Manchester United by the same scoreline in a league match-up just three days later. Pochettino will hope that whatever magic Adams is wielding on both sides of Bournemouth’s ball can be transferred to the international stage.

Perhaps three weeks ago, Christian Pulisic wouldn’t have been a lock for the November roster. He was even left out of Pochettino’s September-October camp. However, he has recently turned up the heat. And when is cooking, there is no better chef.

Off the back of signing a new, long-term contract with AC Milan that includes a considerable pay raise, Pulisic was a Halloween-worthy nightmare for Inter Milan on Saturday in the highly anticipated derby. It took him all of four minutes to find the back of the net, energizing the Rossoneri toward an eventual 3–1 victory.

The 28-year-old winger has firmly re-established himself in Ruben Amorim’s starting lineup and is now up to three goals and one assist in Serie A play. The major concern surrounding Pulisic is his inconsistency and recent injury setbacks; however, expect Pochettino to hedge his bet on “Captain America” once again.

The Fringe Players

Balogun running — Folarin Balogun could make his long-awaited return. | Doug Zimmerman/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Pochettino has certainly scribbled a question mark by Folarin Balogun’s name. The 25-year-old striker was the face of the USMNT at the World Cup this summer, scoring thrice in four games, before being unwillingly overtaken by scandal that even multiplied this fall at the club level. It’s no wonder he has chosen to fade into the background in recent months.

But when is it time to bring him back under the spotlight? That is likely the question in Pochettino’s mind. Although the AS Monaco player has yet to reemerge in his club’s starting lineup, he is increasingly receiving more minutes in French Ligue 1 play and even scored his first goal of the season on Sunday against Paris FC. Although the finish wasn’t enough to secure a win on the road, it harkened back to the tenacity and charisma that defined Balogun’s summer, the traits that endeared him to so many people across the U.S., including Pochettino himself.

There is no doubt that Balogun will have a long and storied history with the USMNT. It’s just a matter of when he is ready to keep writing it.

Other question marks remain by Joe Scally and Tim Weah. Both have fallen out of Pochettino’s favor since the 2026 World Cup, rare substitutes off the bench in the summer’s competition and then excluded from the September-October camp. Nevertheless, both are making seriously strong cases to be reconsidered.

Scally has been dominating this season on Borussia Mönchengladbach’s right flank. The 23-year-old right wingback/fullback has flaunted his versatility on both sides of the ball in the German Bundesliga and is already up to three goals and two assists since September. If his domestic dominance alone doesn’t sway Pochettino, his ability to replace youngsters Peyton Miller and Frankie Westfield at the fullback position might, given the pair will likely join Cherundolo’s squad this month.

Meanwhile, Weah has been captaining club side Marseille from right back but already has one goal and two assists this season. The 26-year-old is primarily a winger for Pochettino and will be much-needed at the position if Cherundolo snatches 17-year-old Mathis Albert and 20-year-old Cole Campbell for his U-23 team.

The Newcomers

tsakiris celebrating — Niko Tsakiris stars for San Jose Earthquakes. | Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/Getty Images

The introduction of Niko Tsakiris to the USMNT seems like only a matter of time.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has been making a name for himself in Major League Soccer this season as the star of the San Jose Earthquakes. His creativity and vision on the ball is unparalleled for his age, and he is already up to three goals and a team-leading 12 assists this season. He also leads San Jose in chances created (54).

He has dominated the youth levels of U.S. Soccer, winning a gold and silver medal at the 2022 and 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship, as well as the Golden Ball in the latter. He is ready for the next stage.

Pochettino doesn’t necessarily need anymore midfielders in his ranks—it is a well-stocked position; however, having Tsakiris at the No. 10 role could allow the manager to continue exploring Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna’s unique assets on the wings.

Another newcomer in November could be Samuel Adeniran. The 28-year-old striker is just now finding his best form. The top-scoring American in all of Europe, he is up to eight goals and two assists in just 12 appearances for Austrian side LASK Linz this season, including a stoppage-time winner against Celtic to advance to the UEFA Champions League main draw. There is no doubt that he has caught Pochettino’s eye in recent months.

USMNT Projected 2026 November Roster in Full

Goalkeepers (3)

Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 2 caps)
Diego Kochen (Lyngby, 2 caps)
Brian Schwake (Nashville SC, 2 caps)

Center Backs (4)

Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, 30 caps)
Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 43 caps)
Auston Trusty (Celtic, 14 caps)
George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion, 3 caps)

Full Backs (4)

Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 28 caps)
Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven, 46 caps)
Alex Freeman (Villarreal, 26 caps)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 62 caps)

Midfielders (8)

Tyler Adams (Bournemouth, 62 caps)
Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough, 22 caps)
Gio Reyna (Strasbourg, 47 caps)
Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 39 caps)
Weston McKennie (Juventus, 71 caps)
Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes, 0 caps)
Yunus Musah (AC Milan, 50 caps)
Brooklyn Raines (New England Revolution, 4 caps)

Wingers (3)

Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union, 3 caps)
Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, 90 caps)
Timothy Weah (Marseille, 53 caps)

Forwards (4)

Julian Hall (New York Red Bull, 4 caps)
Folarin Balogun (Monaco, 31 caps)
Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 42 caps)
Samuel Adeniran (LASK, 0 caps)

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