It is a whole new U.S. men’s national team picture following a home World Cup that featured exhilarating highs and an epic crashout. 

The roster that reports to Fayetteville, Ga., next week for the first camp of the 2030 cycle will scarcely resemble that which lost to Belgium in July as Mauricio Pochettino called 13 uncapped players and 28 total for four friendlies over the next two weeks against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. 

“The doors are open for everyone,” Pochettino said on a Zoom call. “Now it’s a new start. It’s a new cycle. It’s not what happened one year ago, one and a half years ago, what happened in the World Cup. To be honest, it’s a fresh start.” 

That fresh start includes a series of teenagers who could form the core not only of the next World Cup squad but also the 2028 Olympic team under Steve Cherundolo. Chief among them is 16-year-old wunderkind Cavan Sullivan, who has a goal or assist in seven of his last eight games with Philadelphia Union and who represents the next great hope of American soccer. 

Cavan Sullivan (6) of the Philadelphia Union celebrates after scoring a goal against San Diego FC during the first half at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Getty Images

Sullivan, the indirect recipient of a warning from Pochettino a couple of weeks ago after commenting on a podcast that he could have helped the U.S. against Belgium, got praise from the Argentine manager Thursday. 

“He’s special because he’s a 16-year-old playing in this level, in MLS, but he’s playing at a very high level,” Pochettino said. “Now it’s another challenge. It’s a challenge to adapt to another competition with international players. … I think the most important thing is we need to have a clear idea how to — I don’t want to use the word help — but to be with him and try to find the best platform for him to evolve.” 

Ironically, given he was the last American teenager to receive comparable hype to Sullivan, Christian Pulisic was not called in for this camp. He has yet to start a game this season for Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan, though he has come off the bench in the Rossonieri’s last two games, and Pochettino dodged the question of why Pulisic wasn’t included in this roster. 

“[We] try to call the players that we believe are the best for this roster for when we analyze all the circumstances and that’s it,” Pochettino said. 

Tempting as it is to read into Pulisic’s absence, given that Pochettino has seemingly yet to forgive him for skipping the 2025 Gold Cup to rest, that may be a tad premature. The circumstances of this camp — which represent the only unofficial games the USMNT will play in the near future, with the CONCACAF Nations League taking up the November and March windows — make it imperative for Pochettino to use it as a proving ground for the pool’s young talent. 

Pulisic’s lack of games at the club level are also a factor and probably the most pressing concern related to his immediate outlook. 

Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic of the United States stand by after Balogun received a red card during a World Cup Round of 32 match. AP Photo/Martin Meissner

Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie, two more big names who will be absent, have also dealt with injury — Balogun with an issue in one of his legs following the collapse of a transfer from Monaco to Everton, and McKennie with muscle fatigue, though he did get into a match with Juventus on Thursday for the first time since Aug. 23. 

Though there are 13 players on the roster who featured at the World Cup — Chris Richards, Sergiño Dest, Jedi Robinson, Alex Freeman, Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman among them — these weeks will be much more about the newcomers. 

Of that contingent, 12 of the 13 uncapped players to be called in are 21 and younger, with goalkeeper Brian Schwake the sole exception. 

Zavier Gozo, Adri Mehmeti, Justin Ellis, Julian Hall, Cole Campbell, Mathis Albert, Neil Pierre and Peyton Miller are among the 20-and-under contingent who could become key parts of Pochettino’s operation. 

Yunus Musah, who fell out of favor with Pochettino after skipping the Gold Cup and was left off the World Cup roster, was also called back in, representing a massive chance for the 23-year-old to work his way back into the fold. 

“Now is a great opportunity for everyone that is going to be involved to keep their place,” Pochettino said. “And that is the mentality that we want to build in this process, in these four years.”

USMNT September/October roster

Goalkeepers (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 1/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 19/0), Diego Kochen (Lyngby Boldklub/DEN; 0/0), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC; 0/0) 

Defenders (10): George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion FC/ENG; 1/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 44/3), Alex Freeman (Villarreal/ESP; 22/3), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution; 0/0), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 40/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 58/5), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 41/3), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 10/1), Frankie Westfield (Philadelphia Union; 0/0)

Midfielders (9): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth/ENG; 58/2), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 0/0), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough/ENG; 18/2), Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace/ENG; 0/0), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York; 0/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 47/1), Brooklyn Raines (New England Revolution; 0/0), Gio Reyna (RC Strasbourg Alsace/FRA; 43/10), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen/GER; 35/5)

Forwards (5): Cole Campbell (SV Elversberg/GER; 0/0); Justin Ellis (Orlando City SC; 0/0), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York; 0/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 42/13), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 0/0