Former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel doesn’t think Christian Pulisic is the top American player right now. In his eyes, Weston McKennie is the most talented option Mauricio Pochettino's got, even though Pulisic usually gets all the attention as “Captain America.”

Pulisic does have his fans, but he hasn’t scored for the national team since 2024 and was pretty quiet during the last international break. The US had a rough time, losing 5-2 to Belgium and 2-0 to Portugal. Those friendlies were supposed to get the team ready for big opponents at the 2026 World Cup, but honestly, they just brought up even more doubts. McKennie was one of the few players who actually looked up for it, and Friedel is absolutely convinced he’s the best talent the US has right now.

The team was missing some key names, too. Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, and Tyler Adams were all out. Richards made it back for the Portugal game, but Adams’ absence in midfield was impossible to ignore. Friedel says people are making too much of these recent defeats. He thinks you have to judge the team on how they do in big tournaments, especially this summer. Still, he admits Adams is the one who keeps everyone connected, and when he’s out there, it makes McKennie better, which ends up making life easier for Pulisic.

Pochettino has a headache picking his squad for the World Cup. He’s still not set on his goalkeeper, his defence, his midfield, or even the attack. According to Friedel, no matter who fills those spots, the USMNT’s hopes really come down to what McKennie and Adams bring to the table.

Talking to Express Sport via Oddspedia, Friedel said, “The U.S. has always needed all our best guys. We’ve never been the kind of team that can go 30 deep and not lose quality except in 2002. That was the only year when anyone could’ve started, and we wouldn’t have missed a beat. Tyler is the glue for the team. He doesn’t care if you’re seven feet tall; if you’re not pulling your weight, he’ll call you out. He’s just that type of player.”

Friedel went on, “I coached a lot of these guys when I ran the under-19s. Weston McKennie is, for me, the most talented footballer we have. He can do so many things, but he needs to be fit and focused. With Juventus this season, he’s looked sharp, and he’s carrying that form into the World Cup. If he’s got Tyler alongside him, no matter where Weston ends up playing, Tyler keeps him disciplined. You always get the best version of McKennie when Adams is on the field. If those two are fit and playing well, they open up the space that lets Christian do what he does best.”

Pochettino is staring down a huge challenge to get this team ready for the World Cup. He knows they’re nowhere near their peak, but he keeps insisting they’re not far off either. If Adams can stay healthy, something that’s been tough for him lately, that would take a lot of pressure off the coach. Without him, it shows. With him, everything just seems to fall into place.

FIFA announced that the fourth and final phase of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup in North America kicked off on Wednesday. This phase covers the event running from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with over three million tickets up for grabs. According to a press release, this “last-minute” sales window opened at 1500 GMT on FIFA’s official site, FIFA.com/tickets. Tickets are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis and will remain available until the tournament concludes on July 19.

Tickets are released in a rolling fashion, sometimes even for matches happening the same day, as FIFA explained. When the sales started, visitors were directed to a waiting page to queue for access, which could mean waiting several hours. Instructions detailed that a countdown appears before entry, after which an ‘Enter’ button shows up for five minutes; clicking it grants access to buy tickets.

In total, nearly seven million tickets will be available across the 16 stadiums hosting games during the tournament. More than three million tickets have already found buyers during the earlier sales phases, including over a million through the random selection draw held earlier this year, which attracted some 500 million requests, according to FIFA.

This event looks set to surpass the record of 3.5 million tickets sold at the 1994 World Cup. This summer’s competition will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, with 78 of those played in the United States.

Ticketing, however, hasn’t been without controversy. FIFA has faced criticism over high ticket prices, which some say conflict with promises made when the tournament was awarded to the three host nations. On March 24, Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers filed a complaint against FIFA with the European Commission, accusing the organisation of abusing its dominant market position and pushing for changes to what they label “opaque and unfair” ticket sales procedures.

FIFA, for its part, defends the pricing by pointing to “crazy” demand, as stated by president Gianni Infantino. The governing body did introduce a $60 ticket category exclusively for official supporter clubs in December, but according to Football Supporters Europe, that allocation was effectively sold out before tickets went on sale to the public.

On another front, FIFA is reopening its official ticket resale and exchange platform this Thursday. That platform has drawn criticism for resale prices that some view as equally steep. FIFA clarified that it does not control prices set in this “fan-to-fan market” in Canada and the United States, where resellers decide the listed price. Mexico presents a different scenario, as laws there ban reselling tickets above their original purchase price.