With the March international friendlies firmly in the rearview mirror, mere weeks remain until USA coach Mauricio Pochettino makes his final roster selection for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
While most of the positions are likely set in the mind of the Argentinian tactician, the recent injury suffered by Patrick Agyemang will require some rethinking about which strikers – and how many – end up on the coveted list of 26.
It will be imperative that Pochettino’s men up front hit the mark, with the co-hosts hoping to thrill their home fans with goal-scoring heroics to reach the latter stages of the tournament. The opportunities to impress might be ticking away, and a late hot streak could cement a World Cup dream.
FIFA take a look at the No9s targeting a spot on the Stars and Stripes squad.
Folarin Balogun
The Monaco man is on track to not only land a spot on the roster but be pencilled into the starting XI. He has excelled in Ligue 1 this season with 11 goals and four assists, along with five goals in the UEFA Champions League, including a February knockout round brace against Paris Saint-Germain.
While Balogun was quiet in USA’s two March friendlies, Pochettino need not worry. Most important is that the 24-year-old is fit, evidenced by his club form. Balogun’s movement is also much improved in recent seasons. He’s finding open space, taking advantage of good service, making runs at and in behind defenders – perhaps the best example being his second goal against PSG when he completed a slick, one-two combination with a clinical finish.
Of the strikers in Pochettino’s pool, he is arguably the best with the ball at his feet, and his link-up play will be required both going forward and when pressured in his own half.
Ricardo Pepi
Injuries have plagued Pepi in recent seasons, but he has returned to health and reached double-digit goal totals at PSV Eindhoven this season. He only played in one of USA’s two March matches, appearing as a substitute and helping set up a goal with his pressing.
The Texas native narrowly missed out on the Qatar 2022 roster, but Pepi possesses the crucial attribute of accuracy – rare is the Pepi shot that goes wayward. His improved finishing and superb movement inside the penalty area since arriving to Dutch football helps his case for inclusion.
“The one innate ability he has is anything around or in the 18-yard box, he’s lethal,” said former USA striker and PSV director of football Earnie Stewart to FIFA. “He’s really lethal when he gets it on his right foot.”
Haji Wright
Similar to Derby County man Agyemang, Wright is a towering striker playing in the English Championship, with Coventry City, where he has amassed 16 goals this season in league play. One of the three men who scored for USA in Qatar, Wright was not included in the March roster because of a groin injury, but assuming he recovers and regains his scoring touch, he’ll make it hard for Pochettino not to call him.
His World Cup experience is certainly a plus, and he has played out wide on the left, offering some versatility should the match call for it. Under manager Frank Lampard at Coventry, Wright has also shown a more rugged, hard edge to his game, which, coupled with his physical stature, would make life difficult on opposing defenses in Group D.
Josh Sargent
Sargent went through instability at club level at an inopportune time, as a messy transfer from Norwich City to Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Toronto FC played out for weeks, causing him to miss valuable playing time. The deal was finally completed in late February for the 26-year-old, but he was still omitted from Pochettino’s March roster.
The good news for the Qatar 2022 veteran is that he found his first goal in Toronto, and if he can continue to plunder over the next six weeks in MLS, he’ll improve his chances.
Damion Downs
Downs flourished for Cologne in the 2.Bundesliga during the 2024-25 season, notching 11 goals and six assists to earn himself a place on last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup squad. That led to a move to English football with Southampton, but since then he was loaned to Hamburg and the goals dried up.
The 21-year-old did receive a call-up to the USA U-21 team during the March window and scored in a 2-0 win over Japan, but goals will be needed in a hurry for Downs to get back on the radar.
