The U.S. Men's National Team finished its packed slate of summer fixtures July 7 with a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup final. The USMNT that played in the final — indeed, the USMNT that played all summer — was a young, inexperienced group missing virtually all of its key athletes.
What a boon that turned out to be. The summer of 2025 introduced compelling new players to the USMNT, including three who performed well enough to all but seal their spots on the Americans' World Cup team for 2026:
Chris Richards | Defense
The U. S. Soccer Federation's motto is "Only Forward," and insiders like to joke that it was purposely chosen to distract from the Americans' lack of defensive rigidity. There's truth in jest: The USMNT hasn't fielded a solid, unquestionable pair of center backs since... ever, really. Think back to the daring, lovable USMNT of the 2014 World Cup. Who do you remember being the true standouts on that team? Certainly not starting central defenders Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron.
That's the context that makes the rise of Richards — a 25-year-old phenom from Birmingham, Alabama — so exciting. He's the USMNT's first world-class center back in years, and he's coming into his prime in time for the 2026 World Cup.
As a defender, Richards is intelligent and utterly unflappable, but his influence doesn't stop there. He has morphed into a wicked goalscorer, scoring twice in the Gold Cup off of Sebastian Berhalter set pieces. One of those goals was the winner against Saudi Arabia; the other was the opening goal of the tournament final.
Malik Tillman | attacking midfield
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino is always quick to hype his players, but there's no one he praised more enthusiastically this summer than Tillman. "What a player," Pochettino said, per U.S. Soccer. "He's a very special talent, a very special kid. We are all in love with him."
Tillman, 23, is a rare find for the USMNT: a clever, tricky, technically gifted attacking midfielder who also happens to be built like an NFL running back. He has everything it takes to be a world-class player.
It took the German-born Tillman a few months to settle within the USMNT, but the Gold Cup was his coming-out party, and what a party it was. He scored his first international goals and established himself as one of the hotter attackers on the global soccer market.
Tillman's Gold Cup efforts didn't just earn him a spot in the World Cup roster next summer. They also earned him a bank-breaking deal with 2024 German champion Bayer Leverkusen.
Diego Luna | attacking midfield
At first glance, Real Salt Lake attacker Luna is all bite with his intense speed and barrel-chested physicality. But he's also a doting young father, strong advocate for mental health and one of the more complex and lovable USMNT prospects in years.
Luna's trajectory was set last January, when he suffered a broken nose in his USMNT debut and insisted on staying on the field. That image of Luna sprinting through a bloodied face bandage became the calling card of this grit-forward USMNT.
"Mauricio really liked that about me and really liked the fight I had. And I think it shows other players that’s what’s needed in this team," the 21-year-old said, per The Athletic. "To fight through everything.”
Luna is capable of creating chaos on the field, but he's also mature enough to step back and play defensively, too; his off-the-ball efforts in the Gold Cup final against Mexico were a big reason why the game remained close. The USMNT is lucky to have him. He has so much more to show.
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