As the anticipation for Mauricio Pochettino’s first roster news increases, Gabriel Slonina saw his opportunity to declare his intentions that he wants to be the goalkeeper for USMNT. At 20 years old, the goalkeeper has already made a name for himself on both club and youth international levels.

During the interview, he further elaborated on how he aspires to be the starting goalkeeper of the USMNT in the 2026 World Cup. He made it straight and clear message to Mauricio Pochettino. He is now waiting to hear the first roster announcement. “I want to be the starting goalkeeper for the men’s national team,” he said confidently. “That’s a goal I’m going to aim for. I’m going to work my hardest toward it and put that vision I have into reality.”

He hasn’t been contacted by the coaching staff yet. But he has a lot of determination and self-belief. “I haven’t had any contact as of now, but hopefully I’ll hear from them soon,” he admitted. 

It takes courage for a player to publicly say they should be the starting World Cup goalkeeper. This is great self-belief, but it also reflects the amount of hard work that needs to be done. The U.S. goalkeeper position is very competitive and has many great players. In the past, there was Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, and now Matt Turner.

Gabriel Slonina aiming for USMNT starting spot at 2026 World Cup

Perhaps what makes Slonina’s ambition so exciting is the timing. The World Cup in 2026 will be the biggest soccer event to ever take place in the United States. Hosting the competition means that media attention will reach records never before seen, and the pressure on the team to perform in front of their own is very difficult.

Slonina’s confidence will be based on form, having put together good shape at the club level with Barnsley. But ultimately, Mauricio Pochettino will be making the decision here. Turner started under Gregg Berhalter, but limited playing time for Crystal Palace has taken its toll, and that might work in favor of Slonina. 

The USMNT over the past years, developed a lot with the upcoming of new stars like Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, and Tyler Adams. Still, however, one severely critical position is goalkeeping, and that is one you cannot afford to take chances on. With this player coming forward and announcing his intentions way in advance, we can say that he is ready to compete with the best.

As the US national soccer team gets ready for a major tournament, Mauricio Pochettino’s first squad announcement will be key to setting the right tone. The players’ determination to show what they can do could be the key factor for their country. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the journey to turn that dream into reality begins now.