ไทย
English
中國人
The USMNT's new chapter is firmly in motion, with a crop of debutants and teenagers steering the side to four straight wins this autumn and delivering a flawless post-2026 World Cup record.
While the thrilling summer tournament across North America feels like it barely wrapped up, it's already time to set sights on the next one. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino is doing exactly that, as are all top national team managers eager to stay ahead of the curve.
"The project is 2030," Pochettino stated last month. "That needs to be our aim." He stressed the importance of identifying "players that can be involved in that four-year process with the possibility to arrive to 2030 in the best condition."
That philosophy prompted Pochettino to hand call-ups to a remarkable 13 uncapped players and eight teenagers over the past three weeks, all of whom demonstrated they belong at the highest level. Some went even further, showing they can outright take over a game.
The USMNT's otherwise brilliant home run this summer ended in heartbreak. The Argentine tactician is expected to keep rotating through several players to pinpoint the ideal combination heading into 2030, ensuring that tournament doesn't leave the same painful memory.
As Pochettino surveys his options, here are the top long-term striking candidates at his disposal who are capable of leading the attack at the 2030 World Cup.
7. Damion Downs
Damion Downs received his call-up this fall as a stand-in for World Cup standout Ricardo Pepi, who picked up a late injury. The St. Louis City forward, on loan from EFL Championship club Southampton, made his senior bow in June 2025 in a friendly against Switzerland, before serving as a backup option at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
He remains very much a peripheral figure, logging limited minutes during the September 2025 camp before a year-long absence from the national setup ahead of this fall's return. He managed just 19 minutes in the victory over Chile.
What likely keeps Downs on Pochettino's radar is his physical profile and age. The 6'4" 22-year-old has considerable room to grow—perhaps not in stature, but certainly in his overall game.
6. Haji Wright
Haji Wright filled the role of Pochettino's third-choice striker this summer, earning his World Cup squad inclusion on the back of a career-best 17 goals for Coventry City last season—a tally that placed him third in the EFL Championship Golden Boot standings and helped fire his club into the Premier League.
Despite playing just two minutes at the World Cup, Wright would likely have featured in this fall's camp had he not sustained a "very serious" quad injury in late August that kept him out for up to three months.
Wright's club-level output in recent years is undeniable, and the 28-year-old has translated some of that form to the international arena, netting seven goals across 22 caps. However, his age—combined with the emergence of younger forwards—may lead Pochettino to leave him out of his long-term blueprint. Wright will be 32 by the time 2030 arrives.
5. Justin Ellis
Nineteen-year-old Justin Ellis announced himself on the national stage this fall, netting just four minutes into his senior debut in the USMNT's 4–1 triumph over Peru. He then added the only goal in a crucial 1–0 win over Canada to cap off a perfect international window. In just 132 minutes across three appearances, Ellis found the net on two occasions.
His tender age and effortless step up to senior international football are not the only things that have Pochettino excited about the young American. The Orlando City striker has experienced a meteoric rise this season, having featured for the MLS club's reserve side as recently as March. Less than seven months on, he is shining on the grandest stage his country has to offer.
It is abundantly clear that Ellis is only just beginning.
4. Patrick Agyemang
Patrick Agyemang is extraordinarily gifted ... and equally unfortunate.
The Derby County striker was firmly in the frame for a World Cup roster spot after starting at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup and appearing in both of the USMNT's preparatory March friendlies; however, he suffered a severe Achilles tendon injury in April during an EFL Championship fixture and had to be carried off the field. His precise return date remains unclear, though he is projected to be sidelined for nine months in total, placing his full recovery sometime in the new year.
Even with missing the closing stages of last season, Agyemang still wrapped up the club campaign with 10 goals and three assists. The 6'4" striker is just 25 years old, meaning his international journey is far from finished—only temporarily put on hold.
3. Ricardo Pepi
The backup World Cup striker appeared in all five of the USMNT's matches this summer, playing a vital supporting role to first-choice forward Folarin Balogun. He even partnered Balogun in the win against Australia, operating in a twin-striker setup from the first whistle that effectively dismantled the Socceroos' defensive block and drove the Stars and Stripes to a Group D victory.
Riding the momentum of the World Cup, Pepi hit the ground running in the new club season, netting three goals in his first five league outings for Dutch Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven. That form—building on a 16-goal Eredivisie campaign the previous season—earned him a fall call-up from Pochettino, making him the only forward from the World Cup squad to be selected.
What was set to be Pepi's golden chance to cement himself as the team's new first-choice striker was quickly disrupted, however. The 23-year-old picked up an injury just days before the international window, forcing Pochettino to bring in a replacement. Pepi is expected to return to action later this month, where he will look to pick up where he left off. He is remarkably young and widely expected to enjoy a lengthy future with the national team.
2. Julian Hall
The 18-year-old prodigy put on a commanding display in his debut camp this fall and etched his name into the record books in the process. The remarkable thing is that he still has so much time ahead of him. By 2030, Julian Hall could be a truly prolific striker at both club and international level.
The Red Bull New York star struck three times, becoming just the third USMNT player in history to score in each of his first three caps and the first to do so in over 20 years. He became the youngest USMNT player ever to score in back-to-back games and the youngest player ever since Brazilian icon Pelé to find the net in each of his first three international appearances. Truly extraordinary.
Hall wasted no time settling into the senior spotlight, also contributing an assist on debut against Peru and playing a pivotal role in the opening goal in the following win over Chile. He was involved in every aspect of the attack and displayed a maturity well beyond his years, particularly in his ability to stretch opposing defensive lines.
The teenager has enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Red Bulls, accumulating 10 goals and three assists while signing a new record-breaking deal. The ceiling is limitless for the young American.
1. Folarin Balogun
Despite his absence from Pochettino's fall camp, Folarin Balogun will be an extraordinarily difficult figure to unseat.
The 25-year-old was the defining face of the USMNT at this summer's World Cup, capturing the imagination of fans across the country after scoring three goals in just four appearances on the world's biggest stage. He played a central role in the Stars and Stripes' group stage run and their first knockout round win in 24 years.
Balogun was soon thrust into controversy, however, after picking up a contentious red card in the round of 32 that was itself controversially overturned. The question of Balogun's availability dominated global headlines and remarkably even drew the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump. While the saga somewhat overshadowed Balogun's immense on-field contributions, it only underscored just how vital he is to the soul of this team.
He has since found himself caught up in further unwanted off-field noise, which partly explains his absence from Pochettino's fall camp. There is little question that he will bounce back stronger before long and reclaim his position at the top of the pecking order.