New USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino selects roster for first training camp

CHICAGO – New U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has named 25 players to his first training camp roster. Named on Sept. 10 to lead the USMNT, Pochettino will coach the USA for the first time on Oct. 12 vs. Panama in Austin, Texas. Kickoff from Q2 Stadium for the USMNT’s Hispanic Heritage Match is set for 9 p.m. ET. [TICKETS]

The U.S. will then visit archrival Mexico in Guadalajara on Oct. 15. Kickoff from Estadio Akron is set for 9:30 p.m. ET as North America’s fiercest rivalry will play a friendly in Mexico for the first time since 2012.

Pochettino’s debut match with the USMNT will be broadcast live on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max, Peacock and Futbol de Primera Radio. Mexico-USA will be broadcast on TNT, Max and Futbol de Primera Radio.

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – OCTOBER TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 45/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; 1/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 5/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 14/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 62/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 46/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 29/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach/GER; 12/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 44/8), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 13/1), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 17/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 56/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 7/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 41/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 14/0)

FORWARDS (6): Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 17/5), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; 30/10), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 73/31), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 25/5), Timothy Weah (Juventus/ITA; 41/6), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 13/4)

POCHETTINO BEGINS THE ROAD TO 2026

After a storied and successful career with several of Europe’s top clubs, new USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino will jump into international soccer for the first time during the October FIFA window. Bringing extensive experience and renowned tactical acumen, the USA’s two October matches represent his first steps towards preparing the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

Pochettino began his managerial career with Espanyol in La Liga before moving to the Premier League, where he made a significant impact with Southampton and later Tottenham Hotspur. At Spurs, he guided the team to their first UEFA Champions League Final in 2019 and consistently achieved top four finishes in the Premier League.

After his successful tenure in England, Pochettino took the reins at Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France and the Trophée des Champions, while also leading the team to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

COMING IN HOT

A number of USMNT attackers come into training camp riding strong form with their club teams. Forward Christian Pulisic has established himself as one of the most dangerous players in Serie A during his red-hot start to the season with AC Milan, netting five goals and adding two assists in eight matches to start the year.

All three USMNT center forwards have also enjoyed productive starts to their club campaigns. Folarin Balogun has scored in back-to-back Ligue 1 matches for Monaco against Le Havre and Montpellier, Ricardo Pepi bagged a brace in PSV Eindhoven’s 2-0 win vs. Willem II on Saturday, while Josh Sargent had two assists in Norwich City’s 3-2 victory at Derby County last weekend, and a goal in the Canaries 1-1 draw with Leeds on Oct. 1, making it three goals and three helpers on the season for the St. Louis native.

WELCOME BACK

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen and midfielder Gianluca Busio will return to the USMNT fold for the first time in 2024. Steffen has put together a strong season with the Colorado Rapids, returning stateside after several years in Europe. While his last call-up came in March 2023, he’ll look to earn his first cap since World Cup qualifying in March 2022.

Busio played a key role for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team throughout its 2023-24 cycle. This summer, he helped the USA reach the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time since Sydney 2000 and now is back with the full USMNT for the first time since the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. Still just 22-years-old, Busio has represented the U.S. at two Gold Cups and helped lead Venezia to promotion to Serie A during the 2023-24 club season.

AGAINST PANAMA

Panama is one of the USMNT’s most frequent opponents in the region as the teams have met 27 times dating back to 1993. While the U.S. holds a 17W-3L-6D advantage across all competitions, Los Canaleros took the last meeting in the group stage of the 2024 Copa América, a 2-1 defeat in Atlanta. Pulisic is tied for the USMNT’s all-time scoring lead vs. Panama with four goals, boosted by a hat trick in the penultimate match of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

IN ATX

The USMNT already has a very successful track record in the short history of Q2 Stadium, going 4W-0L-0D and not conceding a single goal. The home of Austin FC has hosted matches in three different official competitions, including the Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Nations League, and World Cup qualifying. Most recently, the U.S. topped Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 in the Nations League group stage on Nov. 16, 2023, with goals from Pepi, Antonee Robinson and Gio Reyna.

RIVALRY RENEWED

North America’s biggest rivalry will take center stage on Oct. 15 as the USMNT will face Mexico in a friendly on Mexican soil for the first time since 2012. It’s the USA’s first visit to Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron, one of three stadiums in Mexico that will host matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The teams’ last friendly in Mexico came on Aug. 15, 2012, a 1-0 victory at the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Fantastic defense and Michael Orozco’s 80th minute goal boosted the U.S. to a shutout victory, still the USMNT’s only win in Mexico in any competition.

The U.S. is currently riding a team record seven-straight matches unbeaten against El Tri, dating back to the legendary 3-2 extra time win in the 2021 Concacaf Nations League Final. Most recently, goals by midfielders Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna on either side of halftime led the U.S. to a 2-0 victory on March 24 at AT&T Stadium and its third consecutive CNL title.

ROSTER NOTES

• The roster will have an average age of 25 years, 160 days as of the first day of training on Oct. 7.
• The squad has an average of 26 caps.
• The 25 players represent clubs in 10 different countries: England (6), Italy (6), USA (4), France (2), Netherlands (2), Germany (1), Spain (1), Belgium (1), Scotland (1), Wales (1).
• Christian Pulisic (73) is the leading cap-winner, followed by Tim Ream (62), Weston McKennie (56), Antonee Robinson (46), Matt Turner (45), Brenden Aaronson (44), Yunus Musah (41) and Tim Weah (41).
• Midfielder Gianluca Busio and goalkeeper Zack Steffen earn their first call-ups of 2024. Busio, who represented the USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics, was last in USMNT camp during the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, while Steffen was last summoned for the March 2023 Concacaf Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador.
• After missing out on the September window, defenders Antonee Robinson and Miles Robinson, midfielder Weston McKennie and forward Tim Weah return after last taking part in the 2024 Copa América.
• Eleven players are age 23 and younger: Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun Johnny Cardoso and Patrick Schulte (23); Gianluca Busio, Kristoffer Lund, Aidan Morris and Malik Tillman (22); Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna, Joe Scally (21).
• Having passed Brian McBride for fifth on the USMNT’s all-time scoring chart last month, Pulisic (31 goals) comes to camp in red-hot form for AC Milan where he has amassed five goals and two assists in seven matches across all competitions since the start of the season.
• All three strikers also come to camp off strong club performances. Folarin Balogun has scored in back-to-back Ligue 1 matches Monaco, Ricardo Pepi tallied both goals in PSV’s 2-0 win against Willem II on Saturday, while Josh Sargent registered two assists in Norwich City’s 3-2 win at Derby County on the weekend.
• A product of El Paso, Texas, Pepi has tallied three of his 10 international goals at Austin’s Q2 Stadium, He scored both goals in the 2-0 shutout win against Jamaica in World Cup Qualifying on Oct. 7, 2021, as well as scoring the first goal in the 3-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals on Nov. 16, 2023.
• Antonee Robinson also tallied during last year’s Nations League match in Austin, rocketing home a left-footed effort from outside the box.
• Eight players have played for the USMNT at Mexico. Pulisic appeared in each of the last two away World Cup qualifiers in 2017 and 2022, with Ream joining him in the 1-1 draw on June 11, 2017. Musah, Pepi, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Steffen and Weah joined Pulisic in the 0-0 draw on March 24, 2022.
• Fifteen players are products of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, with 10 produced by MLS Academies: Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union), Ethan Horvath (Real Colorado), Weston McKennie (FC Dallas), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas), Christian Pulisic (PA Classics), Miles Robinson (FC Boston Bolts), Josh Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher), Joe Scally (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Saint Louis FC), Zack Steffen (Philadelphia Union), Auston Trusty (Philadelphia Union), Tim Weah (New York Red Bulls) and Haji Wright (LA Galaxy).