The new era of USMNT forwards might not be at the level of Landon Donavon or Clint Dempsey, but the best players on the team have a chance to write their own stories under Mauricio Pochettino.
The U.S. men's national team is gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Pochettino at the helm. The Stars and Stripes will be eager to put in a better performance than their disappointing group stage exit at Copa América 2024, where they only scored three goals in three matches against Bolivia, Panama and Uruguay.
Consistent goalscoring has been a problem for the USMNT over the last few years. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the team only found the back of the net three times in four matches, and walked away with just one win at the tournament. The current squad has the quality, though, to compete with the best Concacaf nations and even some of the top European nations if its forwards play to their potential.
Here's the USMNT's six best forwards.
6. Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven)
Ricardo Pepi is an exciting young talent trying to forge a place in the USMNT's attacking ranks. Despite receiving limited minutes under Gregg Berhalter, Pepi still buried three goals for the Stars and Stripes across all competitions in 2023–24.
Pepi's stock went down, though, after an underwhelming Copa América 2024. He failed to find the back of the net in any of his three appearances despite a few glorious chances. When it comes to the level of proven quality among the top forwards on the USMNT, Pepi is very much on the outside looking in.
5. Haji Wright (Coventry City)
Haji Wright was the hero of the 2024 Concacaf Nations League semifinals when he scored a brace in extra time to lift the Stars and Stripes over Jamaica. Two years before, he also became just one of three players to score at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Despite his finishes in big competitions, Wright has never been more than just a super sub for the USMNT (and super might be a bit generous). Yet his domestic performances for Coventry City in the 2023–24 season—Wright scored 18 goals across all competitions—show his potential should Pochettino give him the minutes to prove himself.
4. Timothy Weah (Juventus)
While some of his teammates shined at Copa América 2024, Tim Weah is remembered for his needless red card against Panama, likely costing the USA a trip to the quarterfinals. Although he became one of Berhalter's trusted starters, he rarely delivered in front of goal when it mattered most. In 2023, he only scored one goal for the USMNT, and it came in an international friendly.
Weah also found the back of the net zero times for Juventus in 30 Serie A appearances throughout the 2023–24 season. He might not compare to Pochettino's top three options, but he is still arguably the best right-winger available to the USMNT.
3. Josh Sargent (Norwich City)
On paper, Josh Sargent boasts the most impressive goalscoring resume among the USMNT strikers. The Norwich City man scored a career-high 16 goals for his club in the 2023–24 season, but did not break into Berhalter's XI at Copa América 2024 due to injury. The 24-year-old could only watch as he fell down the USMNT depth chart.
Despite his prolific goalscoring for Norwich City, Sargent has yet to successfully translate his success to the USMNT. He scored zero goals in three appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making him a rather untrustworthy option to lead the line on the biggest stages for the Stars and Stripes moving forward.
2. Folarin Balogun (AC Monaco)
Folarin Balogun became the USMNT's undisputed No. 9 at Copa América 2024 where he led the team with two goals in three matches. In fact, other than Christian Pulisic, Balogun was the only player to find the back of the net at the tournament.
There might be question marks surrounding his inconsistent minutes for Monaco, but the striker still bagged eight goals across all competitions in the 2023–24 season in one of Europe's top five leagues. He still has a lot to do, though, if he wants to keep Sargent, Wright and Pepi at bay.
1. Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
Unquestionably, Pulisic is the best forward and the best player on the USMNT. The captain has a long history of carrying the Stars and Stripes, so much so that he's already in the team's history books. On Sept. 10, 2024, Pulisic became the USMNT'S fifth all-time leading scorer with 31 goals in 73 appearances. The American is behind only Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Eric Wynalda.
Pulisic translated his great goalscoring form to AC Milan. In his first season with the Rossoneri, he recorded a career-best 15 goals across all competitions. Pochettino will rely heavily on his captain to produce more goals on the path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT's Forward Options: Ranked.
