The United States men's national team is preparing to hand debuts to a wave of young talent as Mauricio Pochettino has called in 13 uncapped players for the upcoming extended FIFA window. While 16-year-old prodigy Cavan Sullivan headlines the group, a dozen other prospects are pushing to make their mark on the international stage after standout performances at club level.
In goal, the program's search for a long-term successor to Tim Howard continues with two intriguing options. Diego Kochen, a 20-year-old Miami native on loan at Danish side Lyngby from Barcelona, is still adjusting to senior football with a struggling promoted club, but scouts have praised his proactive approach to claiming crosses. Meanwhile, Nashville SC's Brian Schwake, 25, has been in inspired form, conceding just 0.81 goals per game as his side chases MLS's points record, while also impressing with his distribution.
The defense sees several fresh faces as well. Philadelphia Union's Frankie Westfield, 20, has emerged as one of the league's most progressive passing full-backs, ranking behind only Carles Gil, Joaquin Pereyra and Lionel Messi in that category this season — a rare feat for a defender. His Union teammate, 18-year-old center-back Neil Pierre, stands at 6ft 7in and has become a set-piece scoring threat while also excelling in progressive passing and defensive actions after a loan spell at Lyngby. New England Revolution's Peyton Miller, 18, has drawn attention playing predominantly as a right winger this season, racking up seven goals and four assists, though his long-term future may still lie at left-back.
Midfield options abound too. Borussia Dortmund's Mathis Albert, 17, remains a fringe figure at club level but has shown flashes of the acceleration and dribbling ability that made him a Bundesliga debutant at a younger age than Christian Pulisic or Gio Reyna. Crystal Palace's Zavier Gozo, 19, earned his call-up after a hot start with Real Salt Lake and has already featured twice in the Premier League, offering versatility across midfield and wing-back roles. Red Bull New York's Adri Mehmeti, 17, has quickly become his club's midfield fulcrum under coach Michael Bradley, while Brooklyn Raines of New England, 21 and born in Monrovia, Liberia, is seen as a potential piece for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics thanks to his ball-carrying and passing instincts.
Up top, Cole Campbell, 20, has found more regular minutes since moving from Dortmund to newly promoted Bundesliga side SV Elversberg, scoring his first top-flight goal in a win over Bayer Leverkusen. Orlando City's Justin Ellis, 19, has thrived alongside new arrival Antoine Griezmann, racking up 11 assists this season, eight of them since the World Cup break. And Red Bull New York striker Julian Hall, 18, arrives in camp with his international future still technically undecided — Poland's federation has courted the dual citizen, even presenting his mother with a jersey bearing her maiden name, Zakrzewski. Appearing in all four upcoming friendlies would tie Hall permanently to the U.S., a fitting reward for a player who has scored 10 goals and added five assists in 2,198 MLS minutes this season.
With so much emerging talent converging at once, Pochettino's camp offers an early glimpse at the building blocks of the next generation of the USMNT program, as the coaching staff looks to identify which of these prospects can translate club form into senior international impact.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.