With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, GOAL looks at the state of the strikers vying for spots next summer
The U.S. men's national team's striker woes weren't the only thing that led to their undoing at the 2022 World Cup, but they were a key culprit. At the end of the day, Gregg Berhalter didn't have a go-to No. 9, one that he could trust to lead from the front at the very highest level. That promoted Berhalter to feature three different starters in four World Cup games, and that all resulted in one goal: a freak flick by Haji Wright in the loss to the Netherlands.
This time around, U.S. hopes it has found a solution. While there are depth issues in the wide attacking positions, the striker spot has multiple legitimate candidates. Most are proven, both on the club and USMNT levels, and all seemingly are on the upswing of their careers. Now, it's not about finding a striker – it's about figuring out which one.
So how does Mauricio Pochettino sort this out? In truth, it'll largely be sorted out for him. Form trumps all at the striker spot. With the runway to the World Cup shortening by the day, this race is well and truly underway. Start scoring, fellas.
Post-Gold Cup, GOAL is looking at the state of the USMNT, analyzing the positional battles that will ultimately define next summer's team. Next up: strikers.
Getty ImagesThe Starter: Ricardo Pepi
Choosing the starter is essentially a coin toss. It's even challenging to make an educated guess because one of the contenders hasn't even played a single game under the current coach. Because of that, and his form from last season, Pepi gets the early nod. But, again, this is very up in the air.
Before his injury in January, one which slammed the brakes on his momentum and a potential move to a bigger league in Europe, Pepi was absolutely tearing apart the Eredivisie. At the time, he was in the Golden Boot race with 11 goals in just 693 minutes. To put that into perspective, he was averaging nearly a goal and a half per 90 minutes, which just barely exceeded his averages from the prior season when he scored seven goals in 484 minutes.
All of that is to say that Pepi was scoring goals for fun. It translated directly to the USMNT, too. After scoring against Panama in Pochetino's debut game, he scored goals in back-to-back games against Jamaica in November to make an indelible impression on the USMNT boss.
Will that translate to a starting role once he's fully fit again? We'll see, Pepi had built a foundation prior to his injury.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Backup: Folarin Balogun
There were plenty of frustrating absences from the USMNT's Gold Cup squad. Balogun was right at the top of that list. The Monaco striker has yet to play under Pochettino, a coach who has a history of working with some of the game's best forwards. This summer could have been a glimpse into what Pochettino might expect from the ex-Arsenal attacker.
Instead, we'll have to wait.
Balogun, of course, is a different sort of player than Pepi. He brings more pace to the team, which is something that was particularly lacking this summer. At his best, Balogun is a heck of a goalscorer, too, having shown that during his breakout season at Reims and during spurts of his Monaco tenure. Thus far, Monaco hasn't quite gone to plan, though, as injury issues limited him to just four goals in 13 Ligue 1 games last season.
With the USMNT, though, Balogun has stepped up in big moments. He was one of few who could leave last summer's Copa America with his head held high, having scored twice during the USMNT's eventual group stage demise. This came after he netted in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final, proving to be something of a big-game player during his first few runs with the USMNT.
Like Pepi, Balogun's big priority is to get back to full fitness. Once that happens, this striker competition will truly kick off.
Getty ImagesIn The Mix: Patrick Agyemang, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright
There are clearly tiers to the striker position, with Pepi and Balogun seemingly ahead of the others in the pool. There's a fierce battle to round out the pool of forwards, though.
Starting with Agyemang, who was the main starter at the Gold Cup this summer. He was better than many will give him credit for, largely because his job revolved around dirty work than goals. Would it have been nice if he added a few more goals to that mix during the tournament? Of course. Hopefully, his move to Derby County will allow him to fine-tune his game in his new environment. If not, the door will be wide open.
By moving to the Championship, Agyemang is now in direct competition with the other strikers in USMNT tier. Wright has been consistently good for Coventry City, scoring 31 goals over the last two seasons. He may have challenged Agyemang for the starting spot this summer if an injury hadn't derailed his tournament.
And then there's Sargent. One of the most confusing players in the USMNT pool – if not the most baffling – the Norwich City star has scored at least 13 goals in each of the last three Championship seasons, including 15 in just 29 games in his most recent run. Contrast that to his national team fortunes – he's scored exactly zero USMNT goals since 2019.
A player so strong for his club has struggled so much for his country. Pochettino left him off the Gold Cup squad, calling it a "football decision." If he can figure it out, even a , with the USMNT, he's the clear third. But it's time for Sargent to move from what-if to delivering when he gets the chance.
Getty Images SportFor The Future: Damion Downs
At 21, Downs is just one year younger than Pepi, but given his limited USMNT experienc, he is the one to watch – and perhaps the biggest wild card in this competition.
After breaking out with Koln in the 2. Bundesliga, Downs joined the USMNT for the first time at the Gold Cup and – while he didn't play major minutes – he did amass five caps. He also offered the briefest of glimpses into his composure, beating Keylor Navas with the decisive penalty in the quarterfinal shootout win over Costa Rica.
Throughout camp, Pochettino highlighted Downs as a unique option, one who can start up top or as a second striker to make runs into the channels from a bit deeper. Downs recently made the move to Southampton and netted in his first preseason game against Espanyol. Pochettino, coincidentally, was at that game.
Might it be the start of something? If Downs can outperform his colleagues in the Championship, things will get interesting.