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The U.S. men's national team faces a leadership vacancy. As a fresh cycle kicks off in the buildup to the 2030 World Cup, the squad must identify a new captain to succeed 2026 World Cup skipper Tim Ream.
While the 38-year-old Ream brought invaluable experience from his European career and his more recent stint in MLS with Charlotte FC, his chapter has closed, and the younger talents across the roster can now draw on a home World Cup experience.
Choosing a national team captain, however, is a complicated equation. Players don't always feature in every match, or even show up for every international window. Leadership tends to be distributed across a group, with no guarantee that the full group is summoned each time. This makes the captaincy decision more of an emotional one than a clear-cut choice, unlike at the club level.
Nevertheless, teams typically do settle on a primary captain. Behind them, other leaders are usually ready to step in and wear the armband. Here, Sports Illustrated examines three candidates to become the next first-choice captain for the USMNT heading into the 2030 World Cup.
Tyler Adams
Tyler Adams has already worn the armband for the USMNT on a regular basis, doing so on 11 occasions since his international debut in 2017. Despite being just 23 at the time, he shouldered the responsibility at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, before stepping aside when Pochettino handed the honor to Ream for the 2026 tournament on home soil.
While neither leader guided the USMNT beyond the round of 16, Adams's youth and long-term potential offered greater promise than Ream's composure and veteran presence at the 2026 tournament. Even so, Adams remained one of the team's most vital contributors this summer, and will continue to be going forward.
Set to be 31 at the next World Cup and likely to hold down a regular spot in the Premier League with Bournemouth or another European club, the former New York Red Bulls standout looks like the ideal choice for the captaincy throughout the next cycle.
Chris Richards
At 26 years old, Chris Richards has already cemented himself as a genuine leader at the back. The standout central defender arrived at his first World Cup after heartbreakingly missing the 2022 roster, and entered the tournament with 122 appearances for Crystal Palace under his belt, including the high-pressure atmosphere of a triumphant FA Cup run and the spotlight of being crowned Conference League champions in a memorable European campaign.
Although he came into the summer managing a minor injury, he quickly elevated his game to World Cup level and excelled as one of the team's most crucial players through the central spine. As someone who committed to the side across all of Pochettino's competitions, including the 2025 Concacaf Nations League and Concacaf Gold Cup, he understood exactly what was required of him.
For Ream, the outgoing captain who lined up alongside Richards for much of the past year, his defensive partner is the natural successor.
"I think Chris Richards is made for it. I think he would be perfect. But again, it's gonna come down to whoever is in charge and what they see and what characteristics and what personalities that they value," Ream told NBC.
"But I think Chris has all the intangibles to be that next captain. He's already a leader within the group. He already knows when and how to approach different guys. But I think that the biggest key is knowing all the different personalities."
Sebastian Berhalter
The USMNT boasts a deeper player pool than ever before, and with that comes the ability to field different tiers of players for the World Cup and Copa América compared to the Nations League, Gold Cup, and other competitions and friendlies.
As demonstrated at the 2025 Gold Cup, many of the top players don't commit to every window, given demanding European schedules and the level of competition in regional tournaments.
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That's where Sebastian Berhalter—or a player in his mold—could make a case for the captaincy. He's unlikely to break into a first-choice starting lineup, but is talented enough to feature on the top roster, as well as the squads that travel to every single fixture.
Poised for a move to Europe following back-to-back standout seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS, he could provide the most consistency to the role, even if it means frequently sitting out the biggest matches. In those situations, one of the other contenders would assume the armband as a de facto vice-captain, until Berhalter takes the field.