The clock is ticking quickly towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the opportunities for players to impress are fleeting, with national teams having to submit their squads to FIFA by May 30.
With the countdown towards the U.S. men’s national team’s tournament-opening clash against Paraguay on June 12 heating up, manager Mauricio Pochettino is watching closely to ensure he’s picking the most in-form players to fit into his ideal setup.
Over the last week, U.S. players have earned promotions, enjoyed standout performances in continental competitions and more.
Here, Sports Illustrated dives into stock up, stock down analysis for the men in Stars and Stripes.
Stock Up: Haji Wright
More Americans are heading to the Premier League. On Friday, Haji Wright played 28 minutes for Coventry City in a 1–1 draw with Blackburn Rovers, helping his side get back to the English top-flight for the first time in 25 years.
While Wright didn’t score, posting a single shot after entering in the 62nd minute, his contributions to the club’s promotion have been integral. This season, he has 16 goals and an assist in 29 Championship games, good for second in the Golden Boot race, behind Swansea City’s Žan Vipotnik.
Reporting live from Coventry: Haji Wright and @Coventry_City are PREMIER LEAGUE! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Pxpi0qcpWG
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) April 17, 2026
With his goalscoring record and the potential of him staying with Coventry for the step up to the Premier League, the attraction of having Wright on the World Cup roster only improved. At the same time, with some attackers not scoring, having one in stellar form could be of use, even if he ranks outside the starting lineup.
Stock Up: Brenden Aaronson
Brenden Aaronson is enjoying one of his best seasons with Leeds United and is hoping his performances will be good enough to crack the USMNT’s World Cup squad.
He played 86 minutes in Monday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United, offering dynamic play and an assist on a day where Noah Okafor netted a brace, beating the Red Devils 2–1 at Old Trafford.
Outside of his helper, Aaronson also sparked several chances and attacking waves in a vital win for a Leeds side not yet fully out of the woods when it comes to the relegation race. Now, he has four goals and four assists in 31 Premier League matches this season, with hopes that it leads the 26-year-old to a second World Cup, after making his tournament debut in Qatar four years ago.
While relegation remains a slight concern, the focus for Aaronson and Leeds remains on the FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea, after ousting West Ham United in the quarterfinal, leaving the potential to win Leeds’ first FA Cup since 1972.
“The biggest thing was the Premier League, staying up and just having a great season, which I think we’ve done and we’ve put ourselves in a great position," Aaronson told ESPN. "And then the cherry on top is being in the FA Cup and getting to the semifinals ... It’s going to be a massive game for this club and for this team.”
Stock Up: Chris Richards
Chris Richards 😳 pic.twitter.com/a9atMPjVVP
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) April 13, 2026
Chris Richards has established himself as a defensive stalwart with both the USMNT and Crystal Palace over the past two seasons. Still, his stock continued to rise with a starring performance against Italy’s Fiorentina in Conference League action.
Despite a 2–1 loss, Palace advanced to the Conference League semifinals 4–2 on aggregate. The Birmingham, Alabama native was a constant presence in the Eagles’ back three. Through 90 minutes, he had 10 defensive actions and nine clearances, shoring up the backline even as the Serie A side pressed for goals late in the game.
The performance came on the back of a shutdown showing on Sunday against Newcastle United, where he made vicious tackles on the ground, amassing nine defensive contributions as Palace picked up a thrilling 2–1 win, with Jean-Philippe Mateta completing his brace with a 94th-minute penalty kick.
Stock Down: Christian Pulisic
If his name wasn’t Christian Pulisic and he hadn’t reached the heights that he did earlier in his career, there would be a possibility that the AC Milan man would be left off the World Cup roster this summer. Since the calendar flipped to 2026, he has been anything but impressive for club and country, and this week offered no respite to that form.
The 27-year-old is now up to 17 goalless games for Milan after failing to score in his side’s 3–0 loss to Udinese, where he was unable to muster a shot on target despite a trio of shooting attempts. Since scoring his last goal, he has only amassed a single assist against Torino in March. It comes as no surprise he wasn’t able to put together any positive appearances for the USMNT against Portugal and Belgium.
There’s still hope for Pulisic to hit his stride ahead of the World Cup, but without him at a top level, the USMNT lacks a significant elite-level difference maker to advance deep into the tournament.
Stock Down: Tim Ream
Tim Ream’s veteran presence remains a vital piece to the USMNT, but his recent performances with Charlotte FC spark concerns about the level he can offer on the pitch when up against some of the world’s most talented attackers.
In his latest MLS match, Ream and Charlotte fell 2–1 to a heavily-rotated Nashville SC side that had prioritized Concacaf Champions Cup action. While that scoreline would have been acceptable against the potent trio of Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar and Christian Espinoza, it was a disparaging result for the Ream-led defense against the Coyotes’ secondary attackers.
He finished the performance with just seven defensive contributions and was unable to help solidify the already-leaky backline, in particular when Australia international—and potential World Cup opponent—Patrick Yazbek burst by him for a goal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Wright Earns Premier League Promotion, Pulisic Struggles Continue.
