When Mauricio Pochettino announces the roster for the U.S. men’s national soccer team next week, expectations will be high as the squad lines up for challenges in Atlanta against formidable European teams, Belgium and Portugal. The roster for the World Cup itself will not be revealed until May 26, well after this selection.

These sharp matches will provide valuable insights into the player pool, especially following a long period without gameplay.

Key Matchup Preview

As anticipation builds for the USA’s World Cup journey in just three months, the focus shifts to which players will make the cut.

Strikers:

• Starter: Folarin Balogun
• Backups: Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, Patrick Agyemang

Midfielders:

• Starters: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie
• Backups: Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Malik Tillman

Defenders:

• Starters: Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Timothy Weah
• Wingbacks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson

Goalkeepers:

• Starter: Matt Freese
• Backups: Matt Turner, Patrick Schulte

The unfolding weeks will establish who truly prepares for World Cup ambitions.