The next way-station on the road to the World Cup — the March international window — is fast approaching. For players on the U.S. men’s national team, it will be like arriving at base camp on Mt. Everest. The amount of work to get to that point has been immense. Now, who will get the chance to try to climb to the summit?
The March get-together marks the last time that the team will convene before the team’s pre-World Cup camp in May, by which time the roster will likely be set. U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino has long approached his stewardship of the USMNT with an open mind when it comes to players. He has given opportunities up and down the depth chart, insisting that nobody’s position is safe.
While the time for experimentation has long since passed, the upcoming window is the last time for players to make an impression directly in front of Pochettino. It will also provide an opportunity to sharpen things tactically. With that in mind, here’s how the USMNT depth chart is playing out.
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Goalkeepers (3)
Matt Freese | 27 years old | New York City FC
Freese remains ensconced as the USMNT’s starting goalkeeper, but the next month will be critical if that designation is to continue. He had some shaky moments in the season-opening 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy, but he was more consistent in last weekend’s win over the Philadelphia Union. The NYCFC keeper has been solid in a USMNT shirt, but hasn’t ever been relied upon to provide one of those “stood-on-his-head” performances. That speaks to how well at times, the U.S. had played in front of him, but it also explains the nagging doubts about Freese’s game.
Matt Turner | 31 | New England Revolution (on loan from Lyon)
The bad news is that the Revs have lost their first two games with Turner in goal. The good news is that his goals prevented a mark of 1.39 xG from those two matches, which is good for sixth in the league. Returning to the Revolution has given Turner some valuable minutes, but it wasn’t enough for him to get called up last November. It bears repeating that Turner’s World Cup experience will likely come in handy, but Pochettino has made it clear he cares little about the past. A solid start to the MLS season will ensure that Turner is part of the present.
Patrick Schulte | 24 | Columbus Crew
Columbus hasn’t gotten off to the kind of start it wanted under new manager Henrik Rydström, with a loss and a draw from its first two matches. Schulte hasn’t covered himself in glory in those matches either, though the amount of equity he has built up with Pochettino over the last matches should help his cause. A couple of solid outings over the next few weeks will solidify his spot.
Center backs (5)
Chris Richards | 25 | Crystal Palace
Richards’ return from a December foot laceration is now very much in the past. It’s a good thing, too, as the center back remains a key player in a Palace side that has steadily been broken up. Richards’ solid club form means he’ll keep his spot at the top of the USMNT center back pecking order and should feature heavily in March. Friendlies against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo will provide a stern test.
Tim Ream | 38 | Charlotte FC
Ream remains one of the USMNT’s wise, old heads (emphasis on the wise), and his leadership makes him a key locker room presence for the team and Pochettino. He has looked somewhat vulnerable in the season’s opening weeks, which will be something to keep an eye on going forward.
Mark McKenzie | 27 | Toulouse
McKenzie is in the running to surpass the career high 2,497 minutes for Toulouse he set last year, having already passed the 1,600-minute mark, though he sat out last weekend’s match due to the accumulation of yellow cards. His consistent playing time has him solidly in the running for the U.S. roster where, depending on how Pochettino arranges his back line, he could find himself in the starting lineup.
Miles Robinson | 28 | FC Cincinnati
The upcoming MLS season is a big one for Robinson, who figures to be a key contributor for a talented Cincinnati side. His play in FCC’s three-man backline should dovetail nicely with what Pochettino has planned for the USMNT, and his versatility in the form of being able to play as an outside back is a plus for Pochettino.
Noahkai Banks | 19 | FC Augsburg
The tug-of-war over Banks between the U.S. and Germany has begun, with the player telling Sky Sports Germany last weekend that he was “very torn” about which country to represent at international level. All the more reason for Pochettino to call Banks in to try to secure his long-term future with the USMNT. Banks’ club form certainly warrants it.
Fullbacks (4)
Sergiño Dest | 25 | PSV Eindhoven
Dest has been a consistent presence for PSV this season and is on track to set career highs for appearances and minutes played, which counts as fantastic news given his injury-hit 2024-25 campaign. He has appeared mostly as a right back for PSV, but that might not be the case for the USMNT, as he offers a tantalizing option farther forward in Pochettino’s setup, or even on the left side if the situation warrants it.
Antonee Robinson | 28 | Fulham
Robinson’s recovery from a knee injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the season has gone from being celebratory to worrying. Robinson made six consecutive 90-minute appearances upon his return, but is now no longer a lock starter for Fulham, with Ryan Sessegnon providing considerable competition.
Lately, Robinson has been hampered by an ankle injury, though he was back in the lineup on Wednesday for Fulham against West Ham. He’s still the presumed starter for the USMNT, but his health bears watching.
Alex Freeman | 21 | Villarreal
Freeman’s transfer to LaLiga side Villarreal has seen him get on the field for late-game cameos, which is still an accomplishment given that the Yellow Submarine is currently third in the league standings. The equity he has built up with Pochettino should see him on the roster, but getting more playing time at club level will cement his status.
Max Arfsten | 24 | Columbus Crew
Arfsten remains on standby in terms of extended playing time with the USMNT, given Robinson’s situation with Fulham. The opening weeks of the MLS season haven’t been great for Arfsten or the Crew, but his standing with Pochettino seems strong enough for him to maintain his spot in the left back pecking order.
Central midfielders (5)
Tyler Adams | 27 | AFC Bournemouth
Adams’ return to the field for Bournemouth in recent weeks is a welcome sign, given that his range and tackling will have a huge impact on how the USMNT fares this summer. The same goes for his health, and given his history, fans will be chewing off their fingernails in the hope he doesn’t get injured again.
Aidan Morris | 24 | Middlesbrough
There’s still a way to go in the English Championship season, but Middlesbrough are on track for automatic promotion, with Morris enjoying a string of consistent performances in midfield. That figures to be enough for a call-up, especially with MLS players just beginning to start their club seasons.
Cristian Roldan | 30 | Seattle Sounders
Every manager has “their guys,” players who might not be the most talented, but fill a role to a tee. Roldan has done precisely that, revealing a level of trust between player and manager that few USMNT players enjoy. The competition in the center of midfield remains fierce, but Roldan has the inside track at the moment.
Johnny Cardoso | 24 | Atlético Madrid
Cardoso has been getting more consistent playing time since the start of the year, starting six of Atleti’s last seven league games. Cardoso also scored a vital goal against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League, which has allowed him to leapfrog some of the competition in the center of the U.S. midfield. The LaLiga pedigree helps, but he needs to deliver for the USMNT when he gets the chance.
Tanner Tessmann | 24 | Lyon
After going unbeaten in 13 games, Lyon has now dropped two in a row, with Tessmann among those who struggled. But he has been a consistent presence in the club’s lineup, and while he has deputized in the back at times, midfield remains his calling card. That figures to be the case for the USMNT. A potential partnership with Adams in the middle of the park has a lot of potential.
Attackers (6)
Christian Pulisic | 27 | AC Milan
Pulisic’s season has cooled off a bit, mostly due to a reported bout of bursitis in his hip that has Milan rationing his minutes. One only hopes that Pulisic is given sufficient opportunity to recover and isn’t damaged goods by the time May rolls around. If the issue persists, a March call-up might not be in the works, though he was in Milan’s starting lineup last weekend.
Weston McKennie | 27 | Juventus
About the only position McKennie hasn’t played in recent months is goalkeeper. He would probably do well in that role too, given the way he has excelled everywhere else on the field. That said, Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti has been won over. Where he plays for the USMNT is one of the more intriguing storylines heading into March, but given his current form, he has to be on the field.
Timothy Weah | 26 | Marseille
Weah has been Marseille’s jack-of-all-trades this season, lining up in any number of wide roles. But the question of where he fits into the USMNT remains. Dest is probably a more dynamic presence at wing back if that’s the tactical direction Pochettino ultimately goes. If the U.S. plays in say a 4-2-3-1, Weah easily slots in as one of the attacking wingers, but that is far from certain.
Malik Tillman | 23 | Bayer Leverkusen
Tillman has endured some ups and downs this season with Leverkusen, but the positives have been more frequent, especially in his two-goal performance in the Champions League match against Villarreal. While he’s not always a starter, he’s seeing the field with enough frequency to get on the World Cup roster.
Brenden Aaronson | 25 | Leeds United
Aaronson’s goal contributions have cooled off of late — none in his last seven matches — but he remains a valued member of the Leeds squad, especially given his ability to help defend from the front. With some of his competitors for playing at international level ailing, Aaronson remains on track to make the U.S. roster.
Diego Luna | 22 | Real Salt Lake
At this stage, every minute counts for Luna, and his inability to make the game-day roster in RSL’s first two games is a blow. Given the injury travails of some of his international teammates, he gets the nod for now. But at the moment, the RSL midfielder is probably the last selection on the roster. A return to the lineup — and a hot start to the season — will make his spot more secure.
Forwards (3)
Folarin Balogun | 24 | AS Monaco
It seems that with each passing week, Balogun creates more separation between himself and the competition. His two goals in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain reminded everyone of his mobility and finishing, and he followed that up by orchestrating an inspired fightback from two goals down in a 3-2 win over Lens. At this stage, it will make for a colossal upset if Balogun isn’t the starting forward.
Ricardo Pepi | 23 | PSV Eindhoven
Pepi celebrated his recovery from a broken arm with a goal off the bench in a 3-1 win over Heerenveen on Feb. 21, which for him was badly needed given the regularity with which his competitors at international level have been finding the net. At this stage, Pepi still figures to be second choice behind Balogun, but the gap between him and the competition has narrowed considerably.
Haji Wright | 27 | Coventry City
Seven weeks ago, Wright’s World Cup dream looked to be slipping away, as he had scored just three times over 18 matches. Patrick Agyemang’s solid play was also putting Wright under pressure. But the Coventry City man responded with a blistering run of form that saw him score seven times in nine matches. For now, the last forward spot is his, but that could change over the coming months.
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On the bubble
Roman Celentano | Goalkeeper | 25 | FC Cincinnati
Celentano has looked sharp in his first two games of the season and is second in MLS with a goals prevented mark of 1.99. In FC Cincinnati, he certainly has the team around him to make him look good, but at this stage, Celentano remains in need of one of the other keepers suffering a dip in form.
Zack Steffen | Goalkeeper | 30 | Colorado Rapids
Given the clubs Steffen has played for and the experience he has accumulated, it’s mind-boggling in some respects that he isn’t further up the depth chart. But that’s the state of things for him at the moment.
Auston Trusty | Center back | 27 | Celtic
Just as results seemed to be stabilizing at Celtic, the Bhoys fell at home to Hibernian 2-1 with Trusty receiving a red card. That was followed up by a 4-1 loss to VfB Stuttgart in the UEFA Europa League. Granted, it’s just two games, but it’s the last thing Trusty needed at this point.
Tristan Blackmon | Center back | 29 | Vancouver Whitecaps
Blackmon’s season got off to a decent start, with Vancouver recording clean sheets in each of its first four competitive matches. How that will be weighed against Banks’ play with Augsburg will remain a mystery until Pochettino names his roster next month.
Joe Scally | Fullback | 23 | Borussia Mönchengladbach
Scally has been coming off the bench at times in recent weeks, which is suboptimal timing for a call-up in March. While his versatility in terms of playing anywhere along the back line is a plus, he still seems a notch or two below the competition.
John Tolkin | Fullback | 23 | Holstein Kiel
Holstein Kiel might have finally broken their losing streak but they are still winless in their last seven matches, which won’t help Tolkin’s cause, even as he lines up at left wing back every week. That means Tolkin hasn’t altered his long shot status, but he remains in the hunt.
Yunus Musah | Midfielder | 23 | Atalanta (on loan from AC Milan)
Musah got his first two goals of the season in just the last week. The first was in a 2-1 loss to Sassuolo last weekend, and then he scored a late equalizer in Atalanta’s 2-2 draw against Lazio in the first leg of the semifinals of the Coppa Italia. But is it a case of too little, too late? Seems that way. Little has gone Musah’s way this season. He’s still (mostly) mired on the Atalanta bench. He’s logged just 244 minutes since the start of the year. As recently as three years ago he would have been thought to be a lock for the World Cup. Not now.
Luca de la Torre | Midfielder | 27 | Charlotte FC
The midfielder’s World Cup hopes ride on a change of scenery, in this case to Charlotte FC. He looked bright at times in the draw with St. Louis to open the season but looked a step slow in the 3-0 defeat to the LA Galaxy. He’ll also need help in terms of the competition faltering if he’s to get back in the USMNT frame. That seems unlikely, meaning his bid to make a second consecutive World Cup looks to be a long shot.
Sebastian Berhalter | Midfielder | 24 | Vancouver Whitecaps
As impressive as Berhalter’s season was in 2025, such is the level of the competition in the U.S. midfield that he’ll need to up his game even further. The health of the player pool is always a factor, and Berhalter’s quality set piece deliveries are his superpower, but at this stage, it looks like there are still some players on the U.S. depth chart that he needs to crawl over.
James Sands | Midfielder | 25 | St. Pauli
Sands has been a steady performer for St. Pauli this season, making 22 league appearances and logging over 1,700 minutes. But similar to Berhalter, the logjam in the center of midfield means he has the tallest of mountains to climb in order to get back in the World Cup conversation.
Alejandro Zendejas | Midfielder | 28 | América
Zendejas’ goal against Monterrey back on Feb. 8 proved to be the ultimately poisoned gift, as he went off injured shortly thereafter. He finally returned to the field — and scored — on Wednesday in a 2-1 defeat to Juarez. The midfielder’s talent is undeniable, but he needs to recover from this latest setback quickly. For now, he’s on the bubble.
Gio Reyna | Midfielder | 23 | Borussia Mönchengladbach
The injury bug remains Reyna’s constant companion, with a muscle ailment sidelining him for the last month. It leaves Pochettino in a dilemma. Does he value Reyna’s on-field potential more than his lack of durability? At this stage, the latter is difficult to look past, meaning Reyna’s is on the outside looking in at the moment.
Patrick Agyemang | Forward | 25 | Derby County
Agyemang continues to fire in the goals with Derby County, with 10 so far this season. That consistent level of contribution, not to mention a different kind of body type than his U.S. competitors, has put him in contention for the World Cup, but for now, he just misses out.
Josh Sargent | Forward | 26 | Toronto FC
Sargent finally got his wish: a move away from Norwich City to Toronto FC for a cool $22 million in fees. After being forced to train with Norwich’s U21s for the past month, he’ll need to get up to speed quickly if he’s to have any hope of resurrecting his rather faint World Cup hopes.
Damion Downs | Forward | 21 | Hamburg SV (on loan from Southampton)
In the grand scheme of things, Downs’ loan move to Hamburg hasn’t gone as well as he had hoped, with no goals from four appearances. Granted, it’s early days, but in terms of his international prospects, it seems unlikely he’ll get another look unless his form improves.
