2025 has been quite a year for the United States men’s national team as they’ve closed the year with a five game unbeaten streak. With the clock inching closer to the World Cup on home soil in 2026, the USMNT are finding their form at the right moment despite being without regulars. Mauricio Pochettino has dug deep in order to bring new players into the fold and also adjusted the tactical setup of the team.
Moving to a back three has made up for the absence of Tyler Adams in being able to provide cover for the midfield while also ensuring that the USMNT has a more repeatable buildup by pushing fullbacks up the pitch in support of the hot form of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun. But, since it’s Christmas, what are a few things that the USMNT have put under the Christmas Tree this year, as well as something that they need going into a critical 2026?
Gift 1 — Restoring belief
The past few years have been rough since getting knocked out of the 2022 World Cup at the hands of the Netherlands. From the Copa America disappointment in 2024, getting knocked out during the group stage of the tournament on home soil, which led to the dismissal of Gregg Berhalter, to falling at the Concacaf Nations League and Concacaf Gold Cup, even the start of Pochettino’s tenure did not inspire confidence. But facing Japan in September was when things began to shift.
Pochettino deployed a back three in that match, and the USMNT haven’t looked back since. That match may not have seen them face Japan’s best squad, but with subsequent wins over World Cup-bound sides in Uruguay and Paraguay, the USMT were able to show that they’re up for the challenge of going ot the World Cup. The difficulty level of their opposition will be ratcheted up in March when they face Belgium and Portugal, but those are also the exact kind of tests that the USMNT need to be ready for the World Cup. Ending the year on a high note only adds to the good feelings that Pochettino has brought back into the USMNT. The challenge will be keeping vibes high, but positivity is something that USMNT fans will appreciate finding under the Christmas tree as the World Cup inches closer.
Gift 2 — Depth in key areas
Who would’ve thought that entering 2025, Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, and Alex Freeman would be pushing for the World Cup squad? Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann also saw major playing time increases under Pochettino, but given their time at the Olympics, it’s a bit less out of the blue than the aforementioned trio. Lyon has provided the USMNT with a secondary gift by playing Tessemann at center back at times during the season. With the USMNT lacking depth in defense, that could be needed at the World Cup, where positional flexibility is key.
With the rise of Arfsten and Freeman, the USMNT could carry four fullbacks at the World Cup and need to have players like Tessmann who can plug in at center back to compensate. It may have been a lot of changes for Pochettino to dig through the USMNT player pool, but the fruit is beginning to be seen ahead of 2026. There are more areas where players like Noahkai Banks of Augsburg could also break in, but outside of center back and defensive midfield, this is a USMNT well set heading into 2026.
Gift 3 — The form of the forwards
2025 has been the year of Christian Pulisic as he pushes for the Serie A title with Milan. While his side were met with disappointment in the Supercoppa Italiana, falling to Napoli, Pulisic has nine goals and two assists in only 14 appearances for the club this seaon. He’s been extremely consistent since making the move to Milan, and that consistency has also carried over to the USMNT. It was also a positive sight that without Pulisic starting the last four matches of 2025 for the USMNT, they were able to go undefeated in them, but some of that is down to how another forward has performed this year.
Folarin Balogun has become the main man for Monaco while also establishing that he is the number nine for the USMNT when healthy going forward. Scoring three goals in his last five games for the USMNT, when Balogun has been on the pitch, even if he’s not having a great match overall, he has been able to push that aside to score when a chance comes his way, which is exactly what you want to see from a top striker. Getting Champions League experience while settling for Monaco has gone a long way, and it couldn’t come at a better time.
Gift four — Gio Reyna’s return
It has been quite a year for Gio Reyna. He made a move from Borussia Dortmund to Borussia Monchengladbach, and while he’s still been working his way to be a consistent starter for the German side, the September international break saw him return to the USMNT fold. It was clear that Reyna and the USMNT were ready to put the past behind them, and it wouldn’t take long with him scoring a header only four minutes into their match against Paraguay. The relief could be seen, and despite Malik Tillman being the top attacking midfielder in the USMNT pool now, it was a moment where Reyna established himself as a contender for the World Cup squad as well.
Teammates spoke about how much they enjoyed sharing the pitch with Reyna, and that’s something which shouldn’t be taken for granted since chemistry will be important to success at the World Cup.
Lump of coal: Health and defenders
It wasn’t all smiles for the USMNT as depth is a fragile thing. Pochettino, utilizing a back three, was almost forced by not having a natural replacement for Adams in defensive midfield, and entering 2026, Adams will be out for 2-3 months with a torn MCL. The captain for the USMNT during the 2022 World Cup, the USMNT will need Adams during this World Cup on home soil, as defensive midfield is somewhere that another player hasn’t stepped up. The back three has gotten the job done, but at times, if Pochettino is going to truly open up the attack, he’ll need a strong defensive presence in midfield.
Defense is also thin, with Chris Richards and a 38-year-old Tim Ream being the top options for Pochettino. Mark McKenzie is emerging as one in a back three, but defensively, things are fluid, and Richards getting stretchered off during Crystal Palace’s EFL Cup defeat showed just how fragile that depth is. Pochettino has tried a host of center backs alongside his top two, and the results have been mixed, but for 2026 to be a success someone has to emerge in the defense.
