Christian Pulisic emerged alongside Folarin Balogun as the most conspicuous omission from the US Men’s National Team roster for the upcoming international window. Featuring several notable inclusions across a 28-player squad, head coach Mauricio Pochettino addressed Pulisic’s absence during his roster press conference.
Following a minor injury sustained after the 2026 World Cup, Pulisic missed extended time during the opening stages of AC Milan’s 2026-27 Serie A campaign. While returning to team matchday squads, manager Ruben Amorim has used the American sparingly, featuring him twice in league play against Lazio and logging 45 minutes in a midweek UEFA Europa League fixture against Benfica.
During Thursday’s press conference, Pochettino addressed questions regarding the absence of several key figures from the 2026 World Cup team, outlining his overarching rationale for the selection process: “The 28 players that are going to be involved in these four games, for different circumstances, are the best players we want see and we want to work with. That’s it.“
Despite serving as foundational pieces during the 2026 World Cup, Pulisic and Balogun were omitted from Pochettino’s autumn squad. A combination of recent club inactivity and a desire by the coaching staff to evaluate younger prospects in high-leverage international environments influenced the decision to leave both stars out of camp, though Pochettino declined to discuss individual players in depth.
Aligned with that developmental focus, 12 uncapped players received their inaugural USMNT call-ups, earning opportunities to make their senior international debuts for the Stars and Stripes. Additionally, the roster features the return of AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah, who re-enters Pochettino’s plans after opting out of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup squad.
see also
Christian Pulisic joins Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski in elite European Cup history after extending incredible streak
Cavan Sullivan, the most exciting inclusion
Among the roster’s new additions, Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan represents the most highly anticipated prospect included by Pochettino. The 16-year-old phenom enjoyed a breakout 2026 MLS campaign, recording nine goals and nine assists across 29 appearances in Chester.
However, with his 17th birthday falling on September 28, two days after the USMNT open their tour against Peru on Saturday, September 26, Sullivan will not eclipse the program’s all-time record as the youngest senior debutant. That milestone remains held by Freddy Adu, who made his senior USMNT debut in January 2006 at 16 years, 234 days old.
Pochettino’s 28-man roster
- Goalkeepers: Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Diego Kochen, and Brian Schwake
- Defenders: George Campbell, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Peyton Miller, Neil Pierre, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Auston Trusty, and Frankie Westfield
- Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Mathis Albert, Sebastian Berhalter, Zavier Gozo, Adri Mehmeti, Yunus Musah, Brooklyn Raines, Gio Reyna, and Malik Tillman
- Forwards: Cole Campbell. Justin Ellis, Julian Hall, Ricardo Pepi, and Cavan Sullivan.
