The USMNT’s Proving Ground: From the U.S. Open Cup to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ | OneFootball

The vast majority of the 26 players tapped to represent the United States at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ are competing at the highest levels in the world. Nearly all play in a top European league—the English Premier League, German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga, among others—and several players have won some of the most prestigious club trophies—Christian Pulisic alone has won the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Champions League.

Of head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s star-studded 26-man roster, more than half can trace the nascent days of their career back to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup—U.S. Soccer’s domestic club championship. 17 of the USMNT’s 26 players have some sort of experience in the U.S. Open Cup. For several, the Open Cup was crucial in their development early on. Those 17 players have combined for 54 Open Cup appearances, 20 goal contributions and two titles.

MATT TURNER MEETS TYLER ADAMS, HAJI WRIGHT IN 2015

One of the clearest examples of the Open Cup’s impact on a USMNT player’s career is that of goalkeeper Matt Turner. Before he rose through the USL and MLS ranks and earned his move to the Premier League, Turner played collegiately at Fairfield University and with amateur USL League Two side Jersey Express during his summers.

“The biggest thing about the [Open Cup] at the Jersey Express was that it was a platform to go up against professional players, guys that you read about in the newspaper,” Turner explained. “Having the opportunity to play on a bigger stage against some of the better players, it was huge for us, it was a great opportunity for our club, but also for us as players.”

Outside of league play, Turner made a handful of Open Cup appearances for Jersey Express. In 2015, Turner helped Jersey Express to their best-ever finish, a trip to the Third Round which ended at the hands of the eventual second-division prize-winning New York Cosmos. Along the way, Turner faced a pair of future USMNT teammates.

After posting a clean sheet against Greek American AA in the First Round, Turner led his side to a 1-0 victory against then-USL Championship side Red Bull New York II, a team that featured a 16-year-old Tyler Adams in his third match as a professional. The result stands as one of only two losses RBNYII has suffered against an amateur opponent.

“When I was playing against [Red Bull New York II], I definitely remember playing against Tyler [Adams] and some of the other guys,” Turner said. Being from New Jersey and close by, I always wanted to prove myself whenever I got to play against Red Bull, because they never took a look at me. I guess I had a little chip on my shoulder.”

From there, Turner and Jersey Express faced a powerful New York Cosmos side, one that featured former Spain international and three-time UEFA Champions League winner Raúl, alongside a 16-year-old Haji Wright, who made his professional debut in the contest. Wright played 11 minutes, winning a penalty just two minutes after entering the match, and helped the Cosmos eliminate Turner’s side.

"Funnily enough, I never connected the dots when we played against the Cosmos that it was against Haji until very recently. I was talking to my father-in-law, and he was asking a little bit about the Cosmos and this and that. I said, 'You know, I actually played against them in an Open Cup match.' We watched the highlights, and that's when I remembered Haji took a dive in the box and got a penalty,” Turner said with a chuckle.

For all three future USMNT products, the Open Cup served as a key proving ground before the trio eventually moved on to Europe.

"I don't think I had the ability back then to dream as big as I ended up making it, but for me, it was always about testing myself against the best of the best and trying to learn and grow,” Turner said. “Having competitions where we could play against professional teams allowed me to size myself up against the other goalkeeper and see what I needed to work on, how I could get better, and whether I could hack it at that level.”

A CUP OF FIRSTS

For six of the 26 players headed to the FIFA World Cup, the Open Cup played a key role in their early careers. The aforementioned Wright and Joe Scally made their professional debuts in the Open Cup with the New York Cosmos (2015) and New York City FC (2018), respectively. For others, the Open Cup is where they made a first-team debut: Miles Robinson with Atlanta United FC (2017) and Ricardo Pepi with FC Dallas (2019). Similarly, Max Arfsten earned his first Columbus Crew start in the Open Cup in 2023.

ETCHED INTO HISTORY

Alex Freeman with the U.S. Open Cup trophy following Orlando City SC's victory against Sacramento Republic FC in the 2022 Final (Photo: Orlando City SC)

Two players on the USMNT’s current squad carry the distinction of being Open Cup champions: Robinson in 2019 with Atlanta United and Alex Freeman with Orlando City SC in 2022.

Robinson’s 2019 title was the last of his three trophies won with Atlanta United. His 2019 run started with a 3-1 extra-time victory against his former club, the Charleston Battery, in which he provided the assist on Romario Williams’ crucial second-half goal to force extra time. In the Round of 16, he tallied his first Atlanta goal to send the Five Stripes to victory against the Columbus Crew on the road. In the next three matches, Robinson anchored an Atlanta backline which only allowed one additional goal en route to a trophy. He played all 480 minutes of Atlanta United’s title-winning 2019 campaign in the Open Cup.

For Freeman, the Orlando defender played a more limited role in his side's trophy-lifting run. Before going on to shine with the first team and later make a move to Spain’s Villarreal CF, the rising defender was a mainstay for Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro during the 2022 season, only featuring as an unused substitute during Orlando’s penalty kick shootout victory against Nashville SC in the Quarterfinals. Still, the team recognized him as a member of the championship squad.

USMNT PLAYERS IN THE U.S. OPEN CUP