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We're now exactly one month away from the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, and the stakes have never been greater for players hoping to make a late push for a spot on the U.S. men's national team roster this summer.
With scouts monitoring leagues around the world as some seasons wind down and others reach their midpoints, the most recent weekend of action gave manager Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff plenty to consider, particularly regarding the North American scene.
At this stage, the USMNT likely has a solid picture of what its 26-man roster will look like, with the announcement scheduled for May 26 in New York City—but can players still force their way into contention?
Here, Sports Illustrated highlights the top three standout performances from USMNT players this week, all of whom remain on the bubble but have a genuine shot at making the final squad.
Gio Reyna
Gio Reyna did more than hint at his potential in the USMNT picture this week, netting his first goal of 2026 in Borussia Mönchengladbach's 3–1 defeat to Augsburg in Bundesliga play on Saturday.
Despite ongoing struggles for playing time, his recent output carries significant weight as the World Cup roster announcement draws near. While Pochettino has repeatedly praised Reyna's ceiling and technical ability, the midfielder had yet to back that up at club level, making a World Cup selection a difficult call for the USMNT's coaching staff. He logged 32 minutes on Saturday, his most playing time in the entire calendar year.
The 23-year-old came on in the 58th minute and immediately injected life into the attack, generating an impressive six chances on top of his goal—even if his contributions ultimately amounted to little more than a consolation effort.
While his goal, visible in the highlights above, is the obvious headline, the sequence below truly illustrated the qualities Reyna can offer a team. In the opening frame, he receives the ball, quickly reads the situation, then drives forward through several touches before playing a wide pass to a teammate while continuing his run.
The camera angle shifts and loses track of the run, but Reyna bursts forward to arrive at the edge of the box, where he holds up play before laying off a simple pass to Hugo Bolin, whose shot sails over the bar. That entire sequence, however, is one that very few players can pull off and effectively breaks defensive lines before opponents can reorganize.
Reyna now has 487 Bundesliga minutes this season across 18 appearances. It's a modest sample, but it may be just enough to earn him a World Cup berth under Pochettino.
Alex Zendejas
As competition for USMNT forward spots intensifies among the likes of Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi (who found the net again this weekend), Haji Wright, and even Brian White, is everyone overlooking Alex Zendejas?
With just three senior USMNT caps to his name, Zendejas was arguably the standout American performer of the weekend, delivering a brace and an assist for Club América in a stunning three-goal comeback against Pumas UNAM in the Liga MX Liguilla. The two-legged tie ended 6–6 on aggregate, and unfortunately for eighth-seeded América, Pumas advanced as the higher-seeded side, with seeding serving as the tiebreaker rather than extra time.
23': Pumas 3-0 Club America (Agg. 6-3)...
30': Pumas 3-1 Club America (Alex Zendejas assist) ⚽️
40': Pumas 3-2 Club America (Alex Zendejas goal) ⚽️
61': Pumas 3-3 Club America (Alex Zendejas goal) ⚽️
EPIC COMEBACK FROM @CLUBAMERICA_EN IN THE LIGA MX QUARTERFINAL SECOND LEG 😳 pic.twitter.com/ZmTYb6a0pP
That result, however, does nothing to diminish the quality of Zendejas's display as he led the remarkable fightback. He first set up Patricio Salas from a corner kick in the 30th minute, then converted a penalty against Costa Rican legend Keylor Navas in the 40th.
Early in the second half, he outjumped Navas to head home from close range, drawing América level and giving them an unlikely shot at progression. He finished the night having created six chances, capping a run of four goals and three assists across his last five matches.
Though he hasn't featured for the USMNT since scoring against Japan back in September, he has undoubtedly put himself back in the conversation after this weekend's display.
Jack McGlynn
Much like Zendejas, Jack McGlynn has largely flown under the radar in USMNT discussions. But this weekend's showing may have catapulted the midfielder up those rankings, as he struck twice with a pair of superb goals in the Houston Dynamo's dominant 4–1 victory over LAFC.
McGlynn, who previously scored against USMNT Group D opponents Türkiye in a pre-2025 Concacaf Gold Cup friendly, opened the scoring at BMO Stadium on Sunday night with a trademark left-footed thunderbolt from outside the area. He then added a composed side-footed finish from close range in the 55th minute.
His impressive display also came in front of the right audience, with USMNT assistant coach Jesus Perez in the stands at a venue fewer than eight miles from SoFi Stadium, where the USMNT will begin their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12.
"It's definitely on your mind. The No. 1 goal for any player is to play in the World Cup," McGlynn said after the game. "Being in [LA], seeing all the signs and everything, kind of fires you up and puts you in the right headspace to put in a performance like tonight."