We are now less than two weeks away from when Mauricio Pochettino will name the United States’ 2026 World Cup roster. There are still positions up for grabs and likely to be a surprise or two on the final list, but for the most part, it’s probably not hard to predict 20-23 of the 26 players who will be named.

The most important questions surround the form of the players everyone agrees will make the roster. In other words, the U.S. team’s chances of succeeding this summer will depend far more on Christian Pulisic’s form than on whether Aidan Morris or Sebastian Berhalter make the roster.

Unfortunately for the U.S. team, there are many big-picture concerns regarding its best players, key positions and now injuries.

Is there room for optimism? Of course. But let’s look at all the issues surrounding the team — both good and bad — heading into the World Cup roster announcement on May 26 and the start of camp.

Causes for Concern

• The biggest star’s form

The main concern right now is the form of Christian Pulisic. The USA needs Pulisic to be at his best.

He was one of the best players in Serie A during the opening third of the season. But when the calendar turned to 2026, the bottom fell out for Pulisic, who has not registered a goal since.

There have been times when Pulisic has played well and simply been unlucky. Milan, meanwhile, has been playing terribly of late and could fall out of the Champions League positions in the final weeks of the season — something that looked unthinkable months ago. No one at Milan is playing well, and Pulisic missed last weekend’s Milan loss with muscle injury.

There should be legitimate hope that once he scores, the floodgates could open. He has endured droughts before that ended with a surge in production.

As of now, Pulisic has four more games before the World Cup, depending on his health. Milan has two games remaining this season, followed by two pre-tournament friendlies with the U.S. team.

U.S. fans should be concerned, but also hopeful that a month is enough time to reverse course.

• Central defense woes

Beyond Pulisic, the biggest area of concern for the U.S. team is central defense. Chris Richards is by far the best option in the back, making him one of the most indispensable players in the pool. After him, there’s a list of concerns.

Chris Richards during March window practice. (Photo: Mike Woitalla)

Tim Ream, 38, has not had a good start to the MLS season, as age finally appears to be taking its toll. Miles Robinson has dealt with injuries and has not found a rhythm this season.

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