Pulisic dropped from USMNT squad as 16-year-old Sullivan earns first call-up

Christian Pulisic has been omitted from the United States men’s national team’s first squad of the 2030 World Cup cycle, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino instead turning to a new generation that includes 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan and 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti, multiple sources confirmed on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s official roster announcement.

Pulisic, who holds 90 caps and 33 international goals — fifth on the all-time USMNT scoring list — fractured two bones in his right leg during the United States’ 4-1 round-of-16 defeat to Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He returned to action for AC Milan last Saturday, coming off the bench to contribute an assist in a 2-2 draw against Lazio after the Rossoneri had trailed by two goals. Despite that encouraging cameo, Pochettino has left him out of the squad for upcoming exhibition matches against Chile, Peru, Canada, and Mexico.

The omission marks a significant moment in the relationship between Pulisic and Pochettino, which has been strained since the AC Milan forward skipped the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup — a tournament the U.S. narrowly lost to Mexico. Pochettino appeared to revisit that decision publicly last week. Pulisic has maintained he made the call to preserve himself for the World Cup, but he failed to score in any of his four appearances at the tournament before his injury ended his summer. This is the first time Pochettino has dropped a healthy Pulisic since taking charge two years ago.

Fellow AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah, 23, is included in the squad despite not featuring for the national team since March 2025. Musah started all four of the United States’ games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was brought on at halftime by Milan manager Ruben Amorim in the same Lazio match in which Pulisic featured.

Sullivan’s call-up is the headline addition. The Philadelphia Union midfielder, who turns 17 in September, is in line to become the youngest player in the 113-year history of the USMNT if he appears — a record currently held by Freddy Adu, who set it in 2006. Sullivan has been in outstanding form since MLS resumed after the World Cup break, registering five goals and six assists in his last seven league games. Though he managed just 224 minutes of first-team football across his first two professional seasons, he has established himself as a starter for the Union this year.

Red Bull New York’s Adri Mehmeti, 17, will also receive his first senior international invitation this month, sources confirmed, underlining Pochettino’s intent to blood the next wave of American talent as the programme resets following its World Cup exit.