In a significant shift for the U.S. Men’s National Team, the starting goalkeeper for the upcoming World Cup is likely to arise from Major League Soccer (MLS) this year. Typically, American goalkeepers have been based in overseas leagues. Players such as Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, and Matt Turner have notoriously played abroad, with Turner briefly stationed at Arsenal before returning to MLS with the New England Revolution.

As the MLS season kicks off this weekend, the competition between Turner and NYCFC’s Matt Freese is poised to determine who will start for the U.S. Turner had his chance but lost the position to Freese during the 2025 season. Now, both players will showcase their talents in MLS, hoping to impress head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Toni Jiménez, the goalkeeping coach, indicated the team’s strategy includes live observations of potential goalkeepers during training and matches, fostering communication with their coaches.

In addition, the goalkeeper pool may see other players like Patrick Schulte from Columbus Crew, Haji Wright from Coventry City, Folarin Balogun from Monaco, Tanner Tessmann from Lyon, Weston McKennie from Juventus, and several others working hard to secure their World Cup slots.

The anticipation grows as Pochettino prepares to finalize his roster by May, continuing to follow both MLS and international talent as the World Cup approaches.