United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino deemed the 2026 FIFA World Cup too early a stage to unleash Red Bull New York teenagers Adri Mehmeti and Julian Hall.
The United States unveiled its 2026 World Cup roster on Tuesday afternoon, and it was a fairly safe and unsurprising 26-player selection aside from the debatable snubs of Tanner Tessmann, Zavier Gozo, Diego Luna and Aidan Morris.
If a 19-year-old but rapidly developing Gozo wasn’t going to make the USMNT roster, then neither were 17-year-old Mehmeti and 18-year-old Hall despite their strong campaigns for Red Bull New York.
The USMNT’s Long-Term Future Points Toward Mehmeti and Hall
Although Pochettino went against blooding the youngsters on home soil in 2026, it’s very likely that both Mehmeti and Hall will be on the USMNT plane to the 2030 World Cup held in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
That, of course, is provided that Mehmeti chooses the United States over Albania (he’s represented both countries at youth level) and Hall (who wears Zakrzewski on his jersey) elects to play for the U.S. instead of his mother’s native Poland. Hall has only played for the United States at various youth levels.
At 17, Mehmeti Is Already One of the USMNT’s Most Intriguing Midfielders
Mehmeti has already established himself as an expert at playing long balls and line-breaking passes. The 6-foot youngster has completed 86 percent of passes while contributing one goal and four assists through 15 matches played in his first MLS season.
He’s earned comparisons from several analysts to a young Sergio Busquets.
“Mehmeti is very calm on the ball,” Chicago Fire FC head coach and former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said earlier this month. “Prototypical Spanish [style] No. 6 that plays one-two touches, very enjoyable player.”
Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley has been impressed by Mehmeti’s positional sense and ball-winning ability.
“His understanding of the game, his savvy for a young player, is developing in a good way,” Bradley said in March. “We’re working closely with him to try to make sure that his understanding of the nuance of different situations and how he can use his physical qualities, but also use his intelligence, to really help us.
“When you look at the best players in the world in that position, they are the reference for their team. They’re able with football, intelligence, personality and then of course physical qualities that go with it; they’re able to do a lot.
“His reading of the game and his understanding of situations, his ability to help us press and be aggressive, but also then in other moments, his ability to close certain situations off and take good angles that may not mean that he wins the ball right away, but don’t allow the other team to progress forward.”
Hall Is Already a Complete Forward at Age 18
Hall is very much in the Roberto Firmino mold with his energetic pressing, defensive work and ability to supply assists to teammates. The 5-foot-9 forward has recorded two MLS multi-assist matches so far this season.
“He has really good qualities,” Bradley said of Hall in April. “His ability to not only score goals, but with his skill and with his quickness and with his speed, set up goals. We can use him in different ways. Obviously, we’ve used him mostly as a nine.
“He has really, really good qualities as a nine in terms of his ability to score goals, his ability to set up goals. The work that he does in terms of helping us press, and helping us chase, and helping make sure that the other team has no time to do what they want – that sends such a clear and strong signal to the rest of our group in terms of how we can close the space behind him.”
Then there’s Hall’s goal-scoring exploits. Through 15 MLS matches this season, he’s collected nine goals in addition to his four assists.
“I feel like every game he’s brought a goal or something positive, and he’s been playing really well,” teammate Cade Cowell said. “That’s a huge step for a young player. He’s got a great mentality, and I think he’ll go places with that. The goals are one thing, but his mentality and how hard he works off the field is another.”
Should Hall and Mehmeti continue making big strides forward while avoiding major injury, national team stardom is in their future.
When 2030 comes around, the duo could be central to USMNT plans.
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