The U.S. men’s national team is nearly ready for the fall, with Mauricio Pochettino set to reveal his roster for a four-match friendly window against Chile, Peru, Canada and Mexico on Thursday to kick off the new four-year cycle in the lead-up to the 2030 World Cup. 

While the international break won’t offer competitive games, it provides a chance to bring in new faces alongside veterans, with the hope of learning where the USMNT player pool stands heading into November’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal. 

Pochettino will still seek a balanced roster as he looks for his first wins against Canada and Mexico since taking over the Stars and Stripes. There will still be opportunities, though, for young talents to leave their marks, given the lack of pressure now compared to the pre-World Cup window. 

Here, Sports Illustrated dives into three teenagers who could earn a call when Pochettino’s roster is announced Thursday. 

Cavan Sullivan

• Club: Philadelphia Union
• Age: 16
• Position: Winger

If it were entirely up to Pochettino’s discretion, calling in a 16-year-old likely wouldn’t be in his plans, considering his use of the terms “confidence” and “arrogance” when describing the attributes young players need to use in the right way to mature into a senior national team player. Yet, the Philadelphia Union’s Cavan Sullivan might just be making it undeniable at this point, given his impressive form in MLS. 

The Union winger is a superstar in the making and has had a breakout under interim manager Ryan Richter, who has ushered the club into MLS Cup playoff contention despite sitting last in the Eastern Conference heading into the break. 

Sullivan’s deft touch, command of the ball at his feet, audacious dribbling and intelligent off-ball runs are well beyond his years and have been evident in his recent form. In his last seven games, he has five goals and seven assists, headlined by a backheel flick goal in a recent 5–0 win over San Diego FC. 

With 11 assists this year, he’s already surpassed Alphonso Davies’s record for the most in a single MLS season by a teenager, and combined with his six goals, he sits just three goal contributions behind Diego Fagúndez’s record for the most by a teenager in a regular season campaign. 

Should the Manchester City prospect crack the roster, expect Pochettino to be far more careful with his involvement than Philadelphia have been, likely only giving him a few minutes off the bench across the four games as he gets used to the responsibility and demands of wearing a national team shirt.

Neil Pierre

• Club: Philadelphia Union
• Age: 18
• Position: Center back

Rising alongside Sullivan in a youthful push in Philadelphia, Neil Pierre is quickly establishing himself as one of the premier center backs in MLS. At 6'7”, there are no players similar to him in the player pool. Add in a likely vacancy in the heart of defense, given Tim Ream’s age, and Pierre could contend for a starting role sooner than many would otherwise expect of an 18-year-old. 

Pierre has quickly adjusted to starting demands with the Union through the second half of this season, after returning from a loan with Lyngby in Denmark’s top flight. In addition to his defensive prowess and vision to build out of the back, he is establishing himself as one of the best set-piece attackers in the league, scoring four times off set pieces in the Union’s good run of form. 

Like Sullivan, he probably isn’t ready to take on full-time USMNT duties just yet, but the first window of a new cycle should allow him to get a taste of the space, and zone-in on the aspects that could make him a better option in the future. Next year, he’ll also likely play alongside USMNT center back Mark McKenzie with the Union, a partnership that could further pave his road to becoming a key part of the national team. 

Zavier Gozo

• Club: Crystal Palace
• Age: 19
• Position: Wingback

Zavier Gozo made a late push for the 2026 World Cup roster but ultimately missed the cut despite his six goals and five assists in 16 MLS games. While his contributions weren’t enough to get into Pochettino’s summer plans, they were enough to earn him an MLS All-Star Game call and then a $15 million transfer from Real Salt Lake to Premier League side Crystal Palace. 

The 19-year-old versatile fullback and wingback has bounced between Crystal Palace’s U-21 squad and the senior team so far in 2026–27, but has proven a step too slow for the physical and speed demands of the Premier League at this point, highlighted in his second appearance against Ipswich Town after a slightly more promising debut against Manchester City. 

At this point, given Gozo’s sporadic playing time and the USMNT depth at the position, he’s unlikely to get meaningful minutes at the senior level. However, he has great potential and could develop into a more significant international talent, while also contending for Steve Cherundolo’s squad for the U-23 U.S. team competing at the L.A. 2028 Olympics.