Mauricio Pochettino’s latest U.S. men’s national team roster pairs returning starters with a sizable group of young prospects. Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie are back for November’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti, while six players under 20 and two potential debutants give the coach more options to assess.
The 25-player squad, announced Wednesday, includes 19 players who featured in September or October friendlies. It also retains 13 players from the 26-man World Cup squad, including 10 who started the team’s final match, a loss to Belgium.
“It’s very important for us to add more options, more players with the possibility to challenge the familiar faces,” Pochettino said during an online news conference from London.
Three established players return
Pulisic missed the recent friendly wins over Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada while recovering from a microfracture in his right tibia and fibula. He suffered the injury during the U.S. team’s 4-1 round-of-16 defeat to Belgium at the World Cup.
Balogun also missed those matches. After a proposed move to Everton fell through, the striker sat out Monaco’s first four Ligue 1 games and has since made five appearances off the bench. His red-card suspension at the World Cup was set aside after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Fifa president Gianni Infantino, a decision that drew controversy.
“It’s a great opportunity to keep helping him to evolve after a tough summer, after the World Cup,” Pochettino said of Balogun.
New faces and a young group
Striker Cavan Sullivan leads the youngest players in camp. He made his senior debut in September, two days before turning 17, then became the youngest U.S. goalscorer a week later against Mexico. The roster also includes 17-year-old midfielders Mathis Albert and Adri Mehmeti, 18-year-old forward Julian Hall, and 19-year-olds Justin Ellis and defender Neil Pierre.
Potential debutants Reed Baker-Whiting, a Nashville right back, and Santiago Castañeda, a Paderborn midfielder, are both 21. Defender Bryan Reynolds, 25, has earned his first call-up since the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. He made his international debut in 2021 at age 19.
“They deserve the possibility to be with us, for us to feel them and for them to see how they can fit in our national team,” Pochettino said.
Goalkeeper Matt Turner, defenders Max Arfsten, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie and Joe Scally, midfielder Aidan Morris, and winger Tim Weah were left out. Several players not selected are expected to join the under-23 team preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games; its camp roster is due Thursday.
Injuries ruled out defender Miles Robinson, midfielder Johnny Cardoso and forwards Haji Wright and Alejandro Zendejas. Ricardo Pepi was also omitted after a leg muscle injury kept him out from Sept. 20 until the previous Saturday. George Campbell was named but left West Bromwich Albion’s match Tuesday with an injury and could be replaced.
Haiti tie sets a March target
The 16th-ranked U.S. team will face 84th-ranked Haiti in Miami on Nov. 14, then meet again in Cincinnati on Nov. 17. The winner on aggregate advances to the Nations League semifinals, scheduled for March 22-30 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
U.S. roster
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese (New York City), Diego Kochen (Lyngby), Brian Schwake (Nashville).
Defenders: Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville), George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia), Bryan Reynolds (Rennes), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Auston Trusty (Celtic).
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).
Forwards: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Justin Ellis (Orlando), Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia).
The Haiti matches give Pochettino a direct test of how the returning core and younger call-ups fit together, with a semifinal place at stake.