Three players the USMNT can build around for 2030

Sebastian Berhalter

Midfield - Vancouver Whitecaps - Will be 29 in 2030

Sebastian Berhalter's best performance at this World Cup came in the USMNT's worst game—but honestly, it's that kind of energy that makes Berhalter such a fascinating study for the team. 

He's got the scrappiness, aggression and bravado that past USMNT stars like Clint Dempsey and Jermaine Jones brought to the table, and when times get tough, he's the player who refuses to cower. Take a look at the USMNT's second half against Belgium for proof: Berhalter came in as a substitute and immediately lifted the proceedings. He engaged the crowd and kept Seattle's Lumen Field loud and he got off a a few mid-distance shots to test Belgium goalkeeper Thibault Courtois. While the rest of the team was resigned to its fate, Berhalter was out there doing everything in his power to change it.

Some of that never-say-die energy comes from his own story: Berhalter was a late bloomer and he knows it. 

"When I was 16 years old I was saying I was going to go pro, probably 5’10”, 110 pounds, and everyone else was already a lot bigger than me. I believed, and people kind of laughed at me, and I was just like, it is what it is," Berhalter said before this World Cup began.

"Last year was my first year starting as a professional, at 23 turning 24. I’ve seen other people starting and having success and doing their thing, and I’m just like, I know my time’s going to come. I know my time’s going to come."

His time is now. He's still got plenty to prove and show—he's not quite as technically gifted as, say, Tyler Adams—but his trajectory proves that he's more than capable of getting there at his own pace.

Malik Tillman

Attacking Midfield - Bayer Leverkusen - Will be 28 in 2030

If the USMNT has an MVP for its 2026 World Cup, it's Malik Tillman. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder played a lights-out tournament from the opening whistle against Paraguay. He started by adapting to a brand-new deeper midfield role in a matter of weeks and finished by nailing back-to-back free kick goals in the knockout rounds. Shout it from the rooftops: Tillman has twice as many World Cup knockout goals to his name as Cristiano Ronaldo does.

Tillman is a quiet, gentle player off the field and a hawkish, determined one on it. It's wild to watch him flip personas when he crosses the touchline. He's somehow both a mellow everyman and a game-changing leader, and he's the kind of star American fans will enjoy getting behind. This tournament was just the beginning for Tillman.