The United States men’s national team begins its first official competition of the 2030 World Cup cycle on Saturday, when Mauricio Pochettino’s side face Haiti in the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarter-final. The game kicks off at 4:30pm ET at Nu Stadium in Miami, with the return leg at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Tuesday, November 17. The aggregate winners advance to the Nations League Finals in March 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and also secure qualification for the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Pochettino has named a 25-player roster for the two-legged tie, and it is a squad that blends returning stars with new faces. Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie are all back after missing the September and October window, while defender Reed Baker-Whiting and midfielder Santiago Castañeda have earned their first senior call-ups. The US are aiming to win a fourth Nations League title, having lifted the trophy in three of the first four editions.
Stars return, Reyna ruled out
Pulisic’s return is the headline. The AC Milan forward was controversially omitted from Pochettino’s first post-World Cup squad, but he is back for the competitive games that matter, and his presence changes the feel of the team. Balogun and McKennie, too, bring experience and quality to a side that went 4-0-0 in home friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada with a young squad in the last window.
There is one notable absence. Gio Reyna has been withdrawn from the roster due to injury, with Stoke City midfielder Jack McGlynn added in his place. McGlynn, who has 13 caps and two goals for the US, will be hoping to make his mark in a competitive fixture. Tyler Adams, named captain by Pochettino after the World Cup, remains the leader of a squad that features 19 players from the September and October friendlies and half of the 26 players who went to this year’s World Cup.
Haiti, Miami and the Pochettino distraction
Haiti are the designated home team for the first leg, but the game is in Miami at the Haitian federation’s request because of ongoing security concerns, according to US Soccer. The US are ranked 16th in the world to Haiti’s 84th, and the Americans have won eight of the 19 meetings between the sides, with six draws and five defeats. Their last meeting was a 2-1 US win in the 2025 Gold Cup group stage.
The tie also comes at an awkward moment for Pochettino, who is the subject of intense speculation linking him with the Manchester United job. The US coach has not commented on the reports, and his focus, publicly at least, is on Haiti. But the noise around his future will follow him into the Miami dugout. For the US, the task is simple: win the tie, reach the Finals, and keep the 2030 project moving. Anything less would be a setback the new cycle does not need.
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