Youngest Players to make 2026 WC Roster predictions contest

Fun. I got 5 of the 8 youngest, not seeing Musah (9/20 posting), Scally or Ferreira. I would have done better if Richards had been healthy. For some reason, I thought we'd need a young winger.

Despite being pretty accurate, I was also horribly wrong on so many things, including not picking Araujo because we won't go with a young RB b/c of Dest and a stacked pool. Which became very unstacked by WC time.

I'll be back when I get a chance to think.

 

I think back then it was a bit easier to pick them because we failed to qualify for the WC. Since then, we have young and stablished players making it more difficult for younger players to make the team. Hence, some dual-nat players deciding to go somewhere else.

 

Don't shit on my success. It was clear brilliance.

 

Why did you have to link that previous thread smh... I only got Musah and Reyna two fairly obvious picks...

Who was the youngest on the 2022 roster since Pepi didn't make the cut, I'm guessing Scally followed by Reyna?

The current call ups aren't that young anymore, the youngest are all 21 (Musah, Scally, Reyna, Pepi, P Aaronson, Paredes, Cowell, even Luna)... the only ones younger are hardly regular call ups, Slonina (20), Wiley (19), Kochen (18)

I'm guessing aside from any dual nats who may switch (Anrie Chase and Luca Koleosho are both 20), the youngest guys will all come from the current U-20 pool

I've said it before but I'll say it again, this is a really strong U20 group with its best available options.

Let me know what you guys would change about this team.

(1/6)#usmnt https://t.co/pE4tUABrfI pic.twitter.com/WeUy6YvpaO

— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) October 14, 2024

 

I been very impressed with Banks and Duru. Both positions of need.

 

My 8: Cavan, Banks, Campbell, Cremaschi, Cowell, Paredes, Pepi, Musah

 

C. Sullivan
Banks
Wiley
Slonina
Q. Sullivan
Brady
Paredes
Pepi

Cavan and Banks I think are gonna make it. It'll just go down to the wire because they're young. Wiley is well positioned. I think at least one of Slonina or Brady is making it. May even be both.

Cavan's oldest brother happens to also be very good at soccer (people can forget this). I think with the trajectory he's on Quinn will force his way onto the team. Pepi and Paredes I think are pretty good bets to be there.

 

My 8:
Ricardo Pepi
Joe Scally
Anrie Chase
Luca Koleosho
Caleb Wiley
Noahkai Banks
Cole Campbell
Cavan Sullivan

I think a young goalkeeper could make it as the #3 but I'm not sure which one between Slonina, Kochen, Brady, Beavers, etc.

 

I love that Banks is making so many of your lists. Man o man do we need a young, athletic CB to burst onto the scene. Wiley seems like a pretty likely candidate to me as well. So many pro minutes under his belt at his age and his Euro situation looks promising.

 

Pepi
Banks
Slonina
Benja
Paredes
Wiley
J scally
C. Sullivan

 

Today, Mathis Albert became the second youngest u19 starter in club history for Borussia Dortmund in their derby against Schalke.

He also scored a goal.

— Marcus Chairez | US/SC (@USSoccerColl) October 19, 2024

Everyone has sullivan should we consider here? Can you take two 17 year olds to WC26?

 

No, you probably won't take two. Especially if rosters go down to 23.

I will say that guys like Berchimas and Albert probably have an edge positionally, as it's much easier to play youngsters wide than centrally.

 

I don’t think if he breaks through in time but just given our weakness at centerback if does he goes straight to the senior team so it’s a good bet.

 

Cavan Sullivan, Banks, Kochen, Albert, Kolesheo, Wiley, Campbell, Chase.

Works out to a 26 man roster of

GK: Turner, Freese, Kochen
LB: Jedi, Wiley
RB: Dest, Scally
CB: Richards, McKenzie, Chase, Banks
DM: Adams, Cardoso
CM: McKennie, Musah
AM: Reyna, Tillman, Sullivan
WF: Pulisic, Weah, Kolesheo, Campbell, Albert
FW: Balogun, Sargent, Pepi

Others I considered in terms of young players were Parades, Cowell, Cremaschi, Slonina, Luna, Paxton Aaronson, Neal, Hall, Akinmboni, Miller, McFarlane, Buck, and Berchimas. It’s always tough to predict who is going to make a leap in the next two years and who isn’t.

 

It just seems too unlikely for Albert. Sullivan has to battle with MLS players for first team playing time. He’ll get on the first team earlier and easier. That should boost his resume to make it such that you can argue for him to be on the team.

If everything goes great for Albert maybe he gets a debut sometime next season. He can’t before that because Bundesliga rules state you must be at least 16, and he turns 16 on May 21. Even then, it would still be very difficult to reach it before 17, which is what it’d have to be, at minimum, to make the World Cup roster.

Alex Staff, who is pretty much a similar level prospect overall, at Frankfurt just made his Frankfurt U-23 debut today. He’s like 11.5 months older than Albert. If you want to track how hard it’ll be for Albert to get a debut before 17, let’s see if Staff can get one for a club that has less talent. Staff would have to get one before the end of the season to get one before 17.

All to say, Albert for 2026 has like a 1% chance at best, and even then EVERYTHING has to go right. More realistically, Albert may be a player for 2027 or 2028, if things go well.

 

Are you hinting that Staff would play for us? Because for Germany he isn't playing at 2026.

 

I think the short term question for both Cavan and Albert is if they get U20 call ups. Particularly for Albert with the U20s seemingly short on wingers.

 

I’m saying hypothetically with Staff. I don’t think he’s an option for us anytime soon.

 

I think Berchimas and Gozo are ahead of Albert for the U-20’s to be playing up as wingers, and neither of them might even be in the ideal roster right now for Mitrovic. I don’t think Mathis is all that close, at the moment.

We gotta remember that the trajectory we’re speaking of is ridiculous. It rarely happens. Most very good prospects can’t attain it. Cavan is an anomaly type of player for many reasons. Mathis is very good, but I think it’s asking too much for U-20’s or USMNT for 2026.

 

Yeah youre right. If he was an 08 maybe he could debut at a similar age as pulisic did and have time to make a case. Of course that is still unlikely.

 

His path is basically to break through next season at Dortmund like Pulisic or Reyna which is not inconceivable given some scouts see him as a similar level prospect to Cavan Sullivan.

 

Puli debuted at a little over 17 years old. Thats may 2026 for albert

 

need these three to hit

Top 3 2006 players in a fairly weak class — all big time prospects. All in positions of need. It would be a massive help if all three panned out.

All three primarily developed in Europe. Domestic development for 2004 to 2006 class has been a big issue. https://t.co/lPkO5fNL4q

— Marcus Chairez | US/SC (@USSoccerColl) October 20, 2024