Sullivan, Gozo, Albert: The wonderkids set to debut for the USMNT as new World Cup cyle begins

Analysis

Tom Weber | Writer

A new World Cup cycle has begun, and despite the missed opportunity of the 2026 edition, there is plenty of excitement around the United States men's national team.

Mauricio Pochettino and his players became the darlings of the nation this summer when they started the World Cup on home soil in exhilarating fashion, but some of that goodwill was squandered with the way things ended.

A depressing round-of-16 exit against Belgium, overshadowed by interference from the Trump administration, quickly eradicated much of the hype around the USMNT. With Pochettino out of contract and expected to return to Europe, a sizeable rebuild beckoned.

A few months on, however, the mood has significantly shifted again. With major offers not having materialised, Pochettino decided to sign a contract extension through the next World Cup. That doesn't mean he'll actually stay until 2030, but it provides planning security for the time being.

What's more, the Argentine's first roster of the new cycle is chock-full of exciting up-and-comers, and with four games to be played during this extended international break, there is a good chance that everyone will get an opportunity to impress.

A new golden generation?

We shouldn't get out over our skis because of a bunch of teenagers, but the batch of prospects now breaking into the USMNT seems like a genuine golden generation, with several potential world-class talents.

The player who will - understandably - get the most attention is Cavan Sullivan, who turns 17 next week. Since the Philadelphia Union replaced head coach Bradley Carnell with Ryan Richter, the teenager has been playing out of his mind in MLS.

On current form, Sullivan is one of the best players in the league, which is a ridiculous thing to say about a 16-year-old. The Man City-bound attacker is joint-second in the assist charts - albeit many of his 12 assists have been secondary - and has scored six goals in his last six games.

He isn't the only Union youngster to get rewarded with a call-up after the team's recent resurgence. Teammates Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield are also poised to make their senior debuts in this break.

Pierre, a towering 6 ft 7 in centre-back, has been really impressive since returning to Philly this summer after, bizarrely, getting loaned to the Danish second division in the winter because the aforementioned Carnell didn't think he was ready to play in MLS.

According to data analytics firm SciSports, the 18-year-old is the second-best defensive prospect in the entire world in terms of his potential ceiling, behind only Barcelona superstar Pau Cubarsi.

As for Westfield, he has been a model of consistency at right-back for more than a year. The 20-year-old had already starred for the Union during their run to the Supporters' Shield in 2025.

Elsewhere in MLS's Eastern Conference, Red Bull New York have made headlines thanks to their young stars this season, with Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti emerging as huge talents destined for a European career.

Striker Hall has been a senior player since 2023 - despite only turning 18 in March - but he has taken his game to a new level in 2026 and is on 10 goals for the season. He ended a scoring drought in the Hudson River derby against New York City FC on Friday, with Pochettino in attendance.

Mehmeti, on the other hand, has only really burst onto the scene this season. Having impressed first-year head coach Michael Bradley in MLS Next Pro last year, he was made a guaranteed starter from the moment the first ball was kicked in 2026 - despite only being 16 at the time.

The now-17-year-old, who models his game on Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets, is already regarded as one of the best central midfield prospects the US has ever produced.

SciSports believes he has the second-highest potential among U21 midfielders, behind PSG all-rounder Warren Zaire-Emery. He still needs to improve his defensive reading of the game and athleticism, but he is incredible on the ball.

The New England Revolution also have two exciting young talents on their roster, with Peyton Miller and Brooklyn Raines receiving their first senior USMNT call-ups for this break.

Miller already starred for the Revs as a 17-year-old last season, primarily playing at left-back. This year, the 18-year-old has been converted into a right winger, which has allowed him to show off his impressive offensive instincts.

The rapid wide man has bagged seven goals in MLS and produced four assists. The US listed him as a defender in their squad announcement, so his national team future might be at left-back.

Raines, meanwhile, has starred for the Revs, thanks to the appointment of Marko Mitrovic. The Belgrade-born coach used the 21-year-old, then of the Houston Dynamo, extensively during his time in charge of the US U20s and made sure to bring him along to New England in the offseason.

The central midfielder has started every game he has been available for in MLS and has been a hugely important part of the Revs quietly becoming one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The final MLS youngster to make the cut for the first time is Orlando City starlet Justin Ellis, who is also being heavily courted by Uruguay and their legendary player-turned-coach Diego Forlan.

For now, the 19-year-old will feature for the US after receiving the call from Pochettino off the back of an impressive run of form. Although nominally a centre-forward, Ellis isn't a typical No.9.

The versatile attacker, who has also been used out on the flanks, has only scored one goal all season, but he has racked up 10 assists in MLS play and struck up an amazing partnership with new Orlando star Antoine Griezmann.

Pochettino has also called up prospects from outside MLS, with Barcelona goalkeeper Diego Kochen possibly set to make his senior debut in the coming weeks.

The 20-year-old is getting regular minutes out on loan at Lyngby and could have his stay in Denmark made permanent for €1.5 million next summer. The battle for the USMNT's No.1 jersey is wide open, and fans are yearning for a new Brad Friedel or Tim Howard.

Zavier Gozo has also received a well-deserved first senior call-up, although not because of his performances for Crystal Palace, whom he joined from Real Salt Lake this summer.

The 19-year-old has only played 45 minutes for the Eagles' senior team so far, but he was irresistible for RSL before he made his move. Having been turned into a right-wing-back by Pablo Mastroeni, Gozo was one of the breakout stars of the first half of 2026.

He bagged six goals and produced five assists while terrifying defenses with his dribbling and directness. The position change compelled him to sharpen up his defensive game, and he also improved his left foot in the offseason to become a more complete player.

The other two young talents in Pochettino's squad hail from the Bundesliga. After failing to break through at Borussia Dortmund, Cole Campbell is now impressing at promoted minnows Elversberg.

The 20-year-old became the club's record signing this summer when he joined for €6m, and he has started every game so far. A versatile attacker, Campbell is being used on the left wing by Elversberg and has scored once in five outings.

Finally, there's Mathis Albert, who has been billed as Borussia Dortmund's new Christian Pulisic. The 17-year-old made his senior debut last season and is now formally part of the first team, but he has yet to feature in the Bundesliga this term.

He played the full 90 against lower-league side HEBC Hamburg in the DFB-Pokal but did not directly contribute to a goal in BVB's 5-0 rout. Nevertheless, Dortmund are incredibly high on Albert and believe that he could potentially reach a similar level to Pulisic.

Written by

Tom Weber | Writer

Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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