GOAL breaks down the best strikers available to Mauricio Pochettino on the USMNT's road to the World Cup
In the months leading up to the 2022 World Cup, the U.S. men's national team striker debate took center stage. In truth, it was due to a lack of real options. The position was a notable weakness for the U.S. under then-manager Gregg Berhalter, playing a role in their World Cup campaign in Qatar.
There's no such problem now. As Mauricio Pochettino prepares this USMNT for the 2026 World Cup, there is no shortage of striker options scoring goals all over the world. There are different profiles spread across different leagues, and several players will feel they have a realistic argument to be the starter by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around.
Right now, though, the focus is on the CONCACAF Nations League and, unfortunately, the USMNT's top options likely won't be available for that tournament. Of the nine players on this list, six have missed or will miss significant time due to injury. Several of the USMNT's best No. 9s will be unavailable for that tournament but, for every setback one player faces, an opportunity opens for another.
So, as we march into the final year and change leading up to the World Cup, the race is very much on, and it'll continue in March. Ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League, GOAL breaks down the USMNT striker pool to rank the best options heading towards 2026.
Getty Images9Daryl Dike, West Brom
Who knows where Dike would be if injuries hadn't taken over these last few years?
It's been two years since we've seen a healthy version of Dike, who came back early in 2024 just to rupture his Achilles a few weeks later. It's been a nightmare for the former Orlando City striker who, when healthy, is a real handful that has the potential to compete at the top of this list.
"Daryl Dike, in terms of what he can give you, he's so different from all of them, that he's special in that sense," U.S. legend Jozy Altidore told GOAL in December. "This guy is the biggest wildcard because if they are all different, he's the most different, in terms of his ceiling."
It's just been too long since we saw that version of him. Hopefully someday soon we'll see him again and he can claim a spot that many thought he'd have by now if everything had gone to plan.
AdvertisementGetty8Duncan McGuire, Orlando City SC
The last year or so has been frustrating for McGuire, who began 2024 by seeing his big move overseas fall apart due to an administration error. He was still good for Orlando City, although not quite as good as he was in 2023. He went on to start for the U.S. at the Olympics, too, as the coaching staff put a bunch of faith in him to lead the line in France, although it didn't result in goals.
There's a reason he nearly got that move to Blackburn, though, and the 23-year-old striker will get another chance to prove it here in 2025.
A late-season injury knocked him out of January camp contention, but he is expected to be back in the first few months of the MLS season. McGuire has plenty to prove when he does get back as he looks to take a leap for club and country this season.
Getty Images Sport7Jesus Ferreira, Seattle Sounders
Ferreira draws criticism, but the guy gets goals on the international level. He's got 15 in just 23 appearances and people have downplayed where the goals have come from, which is how he got his "Pirate of the Caribbean" moniker.
Even so, if it was so easy, everyone would do it, right?
Ferreira took a step back last season but has now moved on from FC Dallas into a new situation in Seattle. With the Sounders, Ferreira is a big piece of the puzzle, one that, from the outside, seems to fit together nicely with a lead by Jordan Morris. That, in theory, should lead to a return to form. If Ferreira can be in that 15-20 goal range in this MLS season, he'll remain in the hunt.
Getty Images6Patrick Agyemang, Charlotte FC
It's almost unfathomable that Agyemang is even on this list. Six months ago, he wouldn't have been close. A few years ago, he was playing Division 3 soccer. Now, he's right there and could realistically be in the squad for the CONCACAF Nations League.
That comes after a breakout January camp. Agyemang scored two goals in just under 90 minutes, showing the movement and finishing required of a true international-level forward. He is still new to all of this, though, and still has so much to prove. This will be his first full season as a starter in MLS, and he'll have to prove himself at that level first if he wants to become a consistent member of the USMNT.
For Agyemang, it will all be about starting hot. If he can get some goals early in the MLS season, he'll be in a good spot.
