After the US men's national team were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday night, suffering a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16, many already started turning the page.
Which players are coming through the pipeline? Can they push the squad to heights fans have dreamed of? Simply put: Who's next?
One answer could be Real Salt Lake midfielder Zavier Gozo, a 19-year-old homegrown star who's confident the USMNT can ascend further.
“I think the ceiling is the World Cup final. It's a ceiling,” Gozo told MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday. “It's up to us to reach that, but the players that we have and the talent that we have coming through are some of the best in the world for sure.
"If all the players develop the right way, and obviously we play well together and all of these things, I think the final is not too far out of reach for us. I think it's a very bright future for the US.”
Teenage dreams
Gozo is among the key cogs expected to burst onto the USMNT scene in the buildup to the 2030 World Cup. He is freshly named an MLS All-Star, and many believe he should have made Mauricio Pochettino's 26-man roster this summer.
“I thought it was an amazing opportunity just to be even considered for a position on the team. Obviously, it surprised me how early it was in my career to be considered for the team,” said the youngster.
“It just put more motivation in my heart and in my mind to make that team. I felt so close that I didn't make it, so I feel like it just motivated me that much more.”
Another realization for Gozo during the 2026 World Cup? As a co-host nation, American sports fans showed they care deeply about soccer.
"I went to the first USA game in LA against Paraguay, and I think it was probably the best soccer game I've been to in the US. It's just exciting to see American people so into soccer," recalled Gozo.
"I think that's probably my favorite thing that's come about this World Cup. Just seeing the people rally around the team is what gets me excited.”
Gozo added: "That environment motivated me so much to want to be in the team because a World Cup environment is my dream, and representing my country at a World Cup is an even bigger dream of mine. Watching this World Cup and the environment, especially because it's on home soil, the feeling of that just makes me that much more want to be a part of the team."
Strength in numbers
Gozo's not the only one.
The beauty of the USMNT's long-term potential is the number of talented stars in the pipeline who could play a vital role in shaping the country's next golden generation.
“Cavan Sullivan, Diego Luna, Taha Habroune, Niko Tsakiris, all these players – Peyton Miller. I think there's such a bright future and there are so many very talented players that are coming through for the US," noted Gozo, who was named No. 10 on last year's 22 Under 22 list.
"I think all of those players can play important roles in this next World Cup, in the Olympics, in all the major tournaments for the US.”
To reach that point, the US youth international attacker and his fellow prospects will remain focused on the present.
The hope is that, in a few years, their club success will translate into galvanizing results at the 2030 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics, should the US qualify.
“I want to be playing in Europe and just playing at the highest level that I can be playing, the best football that I can play, wherever that is," Gozo said. "Whether that's in England or in Spain or wherever in the top five leagues is where I want to play, especially leading up to the World Cup and even the Olympics. I think that's somewhere where I want to be.
"With the Olympics coming up, those are some things I want to accomplish in my career. I think it's just taking it step by step.”
Connecting the dots
Of course, for the USMNT puzzle to come together, every piece must fit snugly, no matter the generation they represent.
And for RSL's breakout star, there are several current USMNT players he's especially eager to share the field with one day.
“Malik Tillman is a big standout for me, just the way he plays. I would be excited to play with him," Gozo said. "Tyler Adams has always been someone I have aspired to play with, and Chris Richards. Those types of guys are always somebody that I'm excited to play with, and I think I would play well with."
After attending the USMNT's 4-1 victory over Paraguay last month, Gozo already has visions of how those combinations might unfold.
“I can play a role where I can be a dynamic player and be creative and create chances for, obviously, [Folarin] Balogun and strikers like that," Gozo analyzed. "I think I can be valuable in that way just to create space for them and open up the field with my speed and my dribbling and all of those things. I can get in behind and maybe open up the field for us to play a little bit more.
"I think I'm an attacking threat, so that's the big role I think I can play."
