USMNT's First Post-World Cup Squad Excludes Pulisic and Balogun

The United States men's national team's first squad selection since the World Cup does not include Christian Pulisic or Folarin Balogun, two of the program's most high-profile attacking players, according to a report from ESPN.

Pulisic and Balogun were described by ESPN as the USMNT's biggest stars during the tournament, making their absence from head coach Mauricio Pochettino's latest roster notable.

ESPN's report did not specify the reasons behind the decision to omit either player from the squad. It is not yet clear whether the exclusions are related to injury, rest, club commitments, or tactical planning by Pochettino, who has led the USMNT since being appointed as head coach.

The squad marks Pochettino's first selection following the completion of the World Cup, a period typically used by national team coaches to assess player pools and begin building toward future competitions.

Further details on the composition of the squad, including which players were called up in place of Pulisic and Balogun, were not included in the available report. ESPN has not indicated when either player might be expected to return to the national team setup.