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Getty Images SportMauricio Pochettino: Deliver on everything
For as good as 2025 ended up going, everyone knows it was effectively a staging period for the USMNT. The results mattered, yes, but not one millionth of a percentage point as much as the ones next summer will. So, for Pochettino, there's only one focus here as we begin 2026: deliver at the World Cup.
That's ultimately why he was brought in, remember? Facing the biggest moment in this country's soccer history, U.S. Soccer handed the keys to Pochettino, an established, world-renowned coach. The task was to get the U.S. to the World Cup in a place where they could succeed, yes, but, more than anything, the task was to actually do that succeeding once the tournament itself kicked off.
It is, in many ways, an unfair ask. Nearly two years of work will effectively boil down into three, and hopefully more, games. Paraguay, Australia and a European opponent await and, from there, who knows? For Pochettino, there has to be something else after. There has to be some type of run.
The foundation has been laid for that run. The culture has been changed and those inside and outside the program have reason to believe. All that's left now is to actually go out and do it, and that, ultimately, will be what Pochettino is judged on in the end.
Getty Images SportEmma Hayes: Keep the player pool moving
Throughout 2025, a clear pattern emerged with the USWNT. Players who showed they could contribute were rewarded with opportunities under Emma Hayes.
In total, 43 players featured for the national team, including 16 debutants. The team had 14 different goal scorers this year, with 51 percent of goal contributions coming from players under the age of 25. Hayes also established a Futures Camp and put a bigger emphasis on the youth national team level. All of that was done with one goal in mind: expanding the player pool.
Expect more expansion in 2026. Yes, there are meaningful games this year as the U.S. gears up for the 2027 World Cup, but Hayes is still in a position to give opportunities. There are position battles aplenty and a seemingly endless wave of young, hungry stars eager to join up with a team still riding high from their 2024 Olympic Gold Medal. Hayes needs to keep nurturing those stars and keep fostering those positional battles right on through 2026. If and when that happens, the U.S. should be a dominant force when it all means more in 2027.
GettyChristian Pulisic: Embrace the attention
It's no secret that Christian Pulisic doesn't like the spotlight. He wants to be a soccer player, not a celebrity. Because of that, he has often shied away from the more celebrity portions of the gig, although he has, admittedly, made more of an effort to indulge the public in recent years with his self-titled documentary.
That said, there's no avoiding it over the next six months. The spotlight will be firmly fixed on Pulisic in 2026, and not just in the United States.
We know what that spotlight looks like in the United States. It will only intensify as the World Cup approaches, with the broader public searching for a clear face of the team. That role will almost certainly fall to Christian Pulisic, whether he embraces it or not. Mauricio Pochettino’s presence will help, as will the personalities around him, but for casual fans, Pulisic remains the most recognizable name - and the one they’ll want to know better.
Meanwhile, Pulisic's recent escapades in Italy have made him a star abroad, too. Even before the World Cup kicks off, Pulisic will be under the microscope at AC Milan, one of the world's biggest clubs. He's not just another piece at the Rossoneri now; he's the club's focal point. Serving that role comes with pressure, too.
All in all, 2026 will be defined by how Pulisic handles that pressure and whether he's willing and able to step out of his comfort zone a little bit to meet it.
Getty Images SportAlyssa Thompson and Jaedyn Shaw: Become the next attacking stars
One of the fun parts of 2025 was watching Alyssa Thompson and Jaedyn Shaw blossom into better players. It hadn't been easy for either of them. Thompson had stagnated a bit after her big 2023 World Cup breakthrough. Shaw, meanwhile, was with the U23s for parts of this year as her club situation went off the rails. By the end of the year, though, both had shown so many flashes of their limitless potential.
Now, it's time to see if they can turn that potential into something more.
Both Thompson and Shaw will enter 2026 with their club situations sorted, which will help. The former will look to become a star with Chelsea, having made the massive move across the pond. Shaw, meanwhile, will look to build on an NWSL title with Gotham FC by playing an even bigger role this year. All eyes are on how they develop with the national team, though, and whether they can meaningfully challenge the other incredible talents in the attack.
The Triple Espresso trio of Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson could return this year, at least in theory. Catarina Macario has carved out a role of her own now that she’s fully fit, while younger options like Ally Sentnor are firmly in the mix. For Thompson and Shaw - two players who already have major tournament experience - 2026 is about proving they can start ahead of those alternatives. It won’t be easy, but it’s the right kind of challenge for two players with that level of talent.
Getty Images SportYunus Musah: Sort out the club situation
There's always at least one player in any given transfer window who needs something to change. For the past few years, that person in American soccer circles has been Gio Reyna. His Dortmund days are now long behind him, though, which means the onus is now on Yunus Musah, who needs to sort something out desperately.
Now, as the calendar turns to 2026, Musah's World Cup spot has never been less certain. His role with Atalanta has essentially been non-existent, although the minutes he has played have increased over the last few weeks. Is that enough for him to stick out his loan?
That question, ultimately, will decide whether or not Musah is with the team this summer. Despite his importance during the 2022 cycle and for much of this 2026 one, the U.S. have developed a fantastic group of midfielders in his absence this year. Nothing is guaranteed, even for Musah, who still probably has more potential than any other player at his position.
To unleash that potential, Musah needs to play, and he needs to play over these next five months or so if he wants to play in the biggest games this summer.
Getty ImagesUSWNT Goalkeepers: Go win the job
As mentioned above, there is no shortage of positional battles within the USWNT right now. The goalkeeper spot is probably the biggest battle of all. That's because it's the most open.
Four different goalkeepers played for the USWNT in 2025. A total of seven were called into camp at some point. All will feel that there is at least some chance of winning a job that, for much of this team's history, has been somewhat unwinnable. There has always been an elite goalkeeper entrenched as the No. 1, from Brianna Scurry right up to Alyssa Naeher. Now, one year into Naeher's retirement, there's still no obvious choice to be the USWNT's starter right now.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce got a good run early in the year. Claudia Dickey started the last four games of 2025. Mandy McGlynn, Jane Campbell, and Casey Murphy have been around this team plenty, too, and have had their share of caps. For each of those players, this year is about stepping up and winning that job, because the reward for doing so is a spot at the World Cup.
AFPAmerican soccer fans: Enjoy the ride
This is the big one, isn't it? Sports, ultimately, are about having fun, and 2026 should be the most fun American soccer fans have ever had.
Yes, 1994 is right there, but the best part about this game is sharing it with friends, and there are more American soccer friends than ever before. This summer should be a special moment for everyone who watches the beautiful game, from the newest, most casual spectators to the diehards who have been sweating through every kick of the ball. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, the World Cup is for you, and it's worth celebrating.
Find a way to enjoy it, then. If you don't have tickets, go to that barbecue with friends and make memories. Introduce your loved ones to a sport that could define their lives. Live and die with every kick of the ball and feel the emotion that comes with this sport at the highest level. This summer's tournament will bring so many emotions to every fan of American soccer, but, at the end of it all, make sure that the biggest one is joy. Strap in, American soccer fans, and do your best to enjoy the ride, because it'll be unlike anything we've ever seen.
