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The U.S. men's national team features 13 players entering their second World Cup after appearing at Qatar 2022, yet will also be missing 13 others who played key roles at that tournament, most notably Josh Sargent.
At 26, Sargent was omitted from the squad along with other forwards from the 2022 roster, including Seattle Sounders' Jordan Morris and Jesús Ferreira, as coach Mauricio Pochettino chose to field just three dedicated strikers for 2026: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright. Sargent has largely been on the outside looking in since Pochettino assumed the role in September 2024.
After netting seven goals in 23 appearances for Norwich City in the English Championship, Sargent made a club-record $22 million move to Toronto FC in March, linking up with the side ahead of their 2026 MLS campaign.
While Sargent has contributed three goals in seven MLS outings since joining the Canadian club, his output with the USMNT had declined for far too long as rival strikers flourished. His most recent international goal dates back to October 2019, when he netted a brace against Cuba in the Concacaf Nations League.
Since Pochettino's appointment, he has earned four call-ups but has failed to register a goal or assist, despite logging over 60 minutes in each outing.
Injury Impacts Sargent's Final Push
Sargent's start to life in MLS has been reasonably encouraging, and he capped it with an impressive finish for Toronto FC in the club's last match before the World Cup break. However, since his arrival, he has been sidelined for several games due to injury, including a troublesome thigh issue that has hindered his consistency and his chances of forcing a late entry into the World Cup squad.
Instead, he will enjoy a few weeks off during the summer before rejoining his club for a July 16 away fixture against rivals CF Montréal, part of a four-game rivalry series that MLS has arranged between the World Cup semifinals and the final.
Toronto FC currently occupy 13th place in the MLS Eastern Conference, with ambitions of climbing into the top nine and securing a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since 2020.