If the United States national team gets pressed into a shootout during the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, it will be a new experience for many of the team’s players.
It’s equally tough to predict who will take the attempts, considering penalties will only factor if both teams are still tied after 120 minutes. Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun, and Haji Wright have meaningful experience with penalties at the club level, but it is unlikely all four would be on the field at one time. That will likely press others into an uncomfortable situation.
The U.S. team has a limited penalty record in recent years. The team has never been involved in a World Cup shootout and most of its history in shootouts comes from the Gold Cup (with one notable exception being against Mexico at the 1995 Copa América).
The most recent shootout came last summer at the 2025 Gold Cup where the U.S. team prevailed over Costa Rican team that featured former Champions League winner Keylor Navas in goal. There we saw current World Cup players such as Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman, and Alex Freeman all score. Sebastian Berhalter missed.
With all that understood, here’s what the shootout lineup could look like for the U.S. team at this World Cup.
Step Right Up
Christian Pulisic has had success from the penalty spot. (Photo by Karl Anderson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
- Christian Pulisic | Forward
- Ricardo Pepi | Forward
- Folarin Balogun | Forward
- Antonee “Jedi” Robinson | Defender
Here’s Why: Pulisic is a no-brainer as he has taken plenty of important penalties for both club and country. When taking standalone penalties, he’s made 12 of the 14 attempts at the senior level. Pepi and Balogun are pure goalscorers and both have experience taking them for their clubs. Robinson is now in Fulham’s penalty rotation after he coolly converted an attempt against Wolverhampton at the end of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
You’re Next
Tim Ream, as a veteran captain, will want to take the spot. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
- Haji Wright | Forward
- Tim Ream | Defender
- Chris Richards | Defender
Here’s Why: Wright has converted all five of his attempts for Coventry in league play and seems like a logical choice. The problem, however, is that if Balogun, Pulisic and Pepi are on the field to take the first set, the chances are unlikely that Wright is also on the field.
Ream and Richards will almost surely be on the field for the USMNT if healthy. The central defensive tandem both have a lot of experience in top leagues, but not much by way of penalties. Ream has only taken one penalty in his career while playing for Fulham in March 2017 – and it was saved. Chris Richards converted a shootout attempt this past season for Crystal Palace in a Carabao Cup win over Millwall.
Regardless, penalties in shootouts are often just as much a test of maturity and confidence as they are about skill. Ream and Richards can likely be relied on to handle the pressure of a late-round attempt. Specifically, Ream is the team’s captain and likely wants to lead the team in this area.
Be At The Ready
Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams for the USA. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
- Tyler Adams | Midfielder
- Malik Tillman | Midfielder
- Weston McKennie | Midfielder
- Sergiño Dest | Defender/Forward
- Alex Freeman | Defender
- Gio Reyna | Midfielder
Here’s Why: These players all remain realistic options to take penalties should the U.S. team get to a shootout, but more experienced options will likely go first.
Adams, Tillman, McKennie and Dest are stars of the team, but all have very limited penalty success at the first-team club level. Freeman, Tillman, and Adams scored for the USA last summer in a shootout win over Costa Rica at the Gold Cup (although Tillman also missed a chance in regulation). Reyna converted an attempt in the 2022-23 Bundesliga season against Stuttgart while playing for Borussia Dortmund.
Goalkeeper: Which Matt Gets The Nod?
Penalty shootouts don’t just require converting your attempts – but having a goalkeeper who also rises to the occasion on the other end.
Both Matt Freese and Matt Turner have had success saving penalties at the club level. This is not the case where Mauricio Pochettino will want to make a goalkeeping change just ahead of a shootout.
Last summer after the U.S. team defeated Costa Rica in a shootout at the Gold Cup, Freese saved three attempts. He said afterward that “penalties are my thing.”
