Mauricio Pochettino will have plenty of key decisions to make in regard to the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster and no position might be more important than the No. 9 position. Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, and Patrick Agyemang are the four leading candidates for Pochettino to consider as the USMNT nears their penultimate window before World Cup play begins in June. Balogun and Wright are both riding good runs of goalscoring form while Agyemang has continued to contribute abroad. Pepi, who missed time this winter due to a broken arm, is looking to get back amongst the goals for PSV over the final few months of the league season. Josh Sargent is on the outside of the USMNT picture at this time, but could potentially propel himself back into consideration with a strong start at Toronto FC. Despite not scoring a USMNT goal in six years, Sargent does remain a versatile option for Pochettino to consider, but time surely is running out.Here is a closer look at all four of the USMNT’s leading striking options, and where they stand at this time:Folarin Balogun – MonacoFolarin Balogun is picking up steam at the right time of the season.Balogun has 12 goals in total this season, with five of those coming in 2026. More notably, four of those five goals have come in Balogun’s last four appearances for Monaco. Two of those four have come in Ligue 1 victories over Lens and Angers, while the other two came against reigning UCL winners Paris Saint-Germain. Balogun remains the USMNT’s No. 1 option, regardless of where he might sit on the goal charts this season. He ended 2025 on a high note with the USMNT, scoring in three-consecutive windows in friendly action. Ending the domestic season will be crucial for Balogun, but it’s tough to see him completely miss out on the World Cup roster entirely bearing injury. Ricardo Pepi – PSVRicardo Pepi is back fit for PSV and now the goals must follow. Pepi has been reduced to only three club appearances this year after suffering a broken arm earlier in the campaign. The former FC Dallas product has scored twice though, netting against Excelsior and Heerenveen in Eredivisie play. In total, Pepi is up to 12 goals on the campaign and will have ample opportunities to reach the 20-goal plateau by season’s end. However, his lack of involvement and production with the USMNT in 2025 was a worry, given the fact that Balogun, Wright, and Agyemang all featured more than him in Pochettino’s system. I expect him to be back with the USMNT in March, but a quiet window could spell the end of his World Cup hopes for 2026. Haji Wright – Coventry CityIt’s been a whirlwind of a season for Coventry City and Haji Wright.The EFL Championship’s league leaders look back to their old selves again, rolling off four victories in a row after a few hiccups to start the new year. Frank Lampard’s men sit top of the league table and Wright’s continued production is a major reason for it. Wright has scored seven goals in 2026, with five of those coming in his last four outings. His hat trick against fellow promotion challengers Middlesbrough was arguably his best performance of the season, which is a testament to Wright’s ability to shake off a quiet fall period. Wright scored three goals for the USMNT in 2025 and will be among the favorites to add to those totals in March. Patrick Agyemang – Derby CountyNot many have been able to quickly adjust to the EFL Championship but Patrick Agyemang is in a league of his own. Agyemang has scored 10 goals and added three assists for John Eustace’s Derby County this season, quickly becoming one of the club’s key players. The former Charlotte FC man has continued to play week in and week out for the Rams, helping propel them into the playoff race this winter. Agyemang brings the most physicality out of the four strikers on this list and is also a major threat on set pieces and corner kicks. He scored five goals for the USMNT in 2025, delivering a strong run at the CONCACAF Gold Cup while also appearing in the Nations League. It will be hard for Pochettino to keep Agyemang off the March roster, given the fact that he is a different style of striker than Balogun, Wright, and Pepi. Outside of the Mix:Josh Sargent, Toronto FCBrian White, Vancouver WhitecapsBrandon Vazquez, Austin FCWho do you hope gets the most minutes out of these four strikers in March? Do you see anyone else forcing their way into the mix for March’s window? If Pochettino only takes three strikers to the World Cup, who is your odd-man out?Share your thoughts below.