Teen Sullivan in USMNT squad, Pulisic left out — SkimNews
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- Mauricio Pochettino named a 28-player USMNT roster for the September–October FIFA window featuring 13 uncapped players, headlined by 16-year-old Philadelphia Union phenom Cavan Sullivan.
- Sullivan has nine goals and 15 assists across all competitions this season, including six goals and eight assists since MLS resumed after the World Cup break; if he debuts before his Sept. 28 birthday, he'd be the second-youngest USMNT player behind Freddy Adu, who debuted at 16 years, 243 days in January 2006.
- Christian Pulisic was left off the roster after recently returning from a bone bruise and microfracture in his lower leg sustained during the USMNT's July 6 World Cup elimination by Belgium; Pochettino declined to explain the omission.
- Folarin Balogun was excluded after his proposed transfer to Everton collapsed late in the window; Weston McKennie (muscle injury) and Diego Luna (pending arthroscopic knee surgery) are also unavailable.
- Yunus Musah earned a recall after missing the 2026 World Cup, last featuring for the U.S. in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League finals 18 months ago.
- The USMNT faces Peru on Sept. 26 in Orlando, Chile on Sept. 29 in St. Louis, Mexico on Oct. 3 in Glendale, and Canada on Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota, with players reporting to Atlanta on Sept. 20.
Why it matters: With 13 uncapped players on a 28-man roster and the team's biggest star (Pulisic) sitting out, Pochettino is signaling a youth-first reset just four years out from the next World Cup. The Sullivan inclusion also carries commercial weight: his Philadelphia Union contract includes a transfer clause sending him to Manchester City when he turns 18 in 2027.
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