The countdown begins. There are just 12 days until U.S. men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino makes his final World Cup decision, naming the 26 players who will represent the Stars and Stripes this summer on home soil.
Pochettino and his staff have already pinpointed who they believe will give the U.S. the best shot at global glory, with USMNT first assistant coach Jesús Pérez stating on Monday that "the provisional roster has been decided already." Nevertheless, players in contention are still doing everything they can in the remaining days to make a lasting impression.
Here's our stock up, stock down analysis for the USMNT this week.
Sebastian Berhalter
Vancouver Whitecaps star midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, although dominant in MLS play all season long, is technically still on the fringes of Pochettino's core squad. His hunger for a spot at the World Cup, though, has been voracious, and it would now come as a surprise if Pochettino doesn't tag him.
Over the weekend, Berhalter scored a late, skillful trivela to earn a critical 1–1 draw against the MLS-leading San Jose Earthquakes, proving himself as not only the cornerstone of Vancouver's transition right now, but also their attack style.
"He has a great belief, and he's also very optimistic in his play," Vancouver manager Jesper Sørensen said of Berhalter and his World Cup chances. "That's why he ended up in situations where he can also be decisive and score goals, like that run he took in for the goal was not necessarily a run you often take from a No. 6 position."
The 25-year-old added a brace on Wednesday night, both goals perfectly placed from distance, to secure a 3–2 comeback win over FC Dallas on the road and bring him to six goals and seven assists on the season. He is far and away the biggest goal contributor for the Canadian side.
His likelihood of making Pochettino's roster also increased after Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso was ruled out for the U.S. on Monday.
Diego Luna
The pressure was on for Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna over the weekend, as Pérez came on a scouting mission to watch the World Cup hopeful in his match against FC Dallas. Although Dallas left Toyota Stadium with a 3–1 win, Luna did enough to impress the first assistant, leading the Claret and Cobalt's build-up all night and notching an 84th-minute banger to get them on the board.
The 22-year-old now has four goals and two assists across nine appearances in league play, an impactful spell despite missing out on the early part of the 2026 season—and the USMNT's March international window—due to a knee injury.
"We know him well, and he obviously needed rhythm, minutes and to get some confidence," Pérez told MLS 360 this week. "I think he's doing well. His team is doing well. Hopefully he can continue doing that. Obviously, it is Mauricio's final decision to pick the roster, but everyone knows that [Luna's] been part of our main group."
Luna has 18 caps with the USMNT, including appearances in 2024 Concacaf Nations League play and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Johnny Cardoso
Atlético Madrid ruled midfielder Johnny Cardoso out of the rest of the La Liga season and the World Cup on Monday, announcing that the USMNT hopeful will undergo surgery after suffering a high-grade ankle sprain last week in training, sidelining the 24-year-old indefinitely.
This is a devastating blow for both the U.S. and Atlético Madrid, the latter of whom he was integral for in their deep run in the Champions League semifinals.