USA penalty taker

Christian Pulisic is our current USA penalty taker call, with Folarin Balogun next in line if the order changes.

Christian Pulisic remains the USA primary when he is on the pitch. The secondary has been moved from Malik Tillman to Folarin Balogun. Tillman did take the USA in-match penalty in the 2025 Gold Cup quarter-final when Pulisic and several A-team attackers were absent, but that kick was missed and came in an alternate-squad context. Balogun has the stronger penalty-taker profile: he is a centre-forward, is in the final World Cup striker group, entered camp in strong scoring form for Monaco and the USA, and has a much deeper senior club penalty record. Market-facing hierarchy: Pulisic first; Balogun second if Pulisic is absent or defers; Tillman remains a live tertiary/alternate-squad option rather than the best full-strength backup.

If you searched for USA penalty taker, the hierarchy at the top is the quickest answer we are willing to publish right now. The evidence trail underneath shows why that order makes the cut.

For World Cup 2026, Christian Pulisic is the current first-choice call for USA, with Folarin Balogun the closest backup if the tournament order shifts.

Squad check: Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun are named in the 26-man World Cup squad.

Coach: Mauricio Pochettino The United States announced their final squad on May 26.

A fresh in-match penalty can move this page quickly, especially if it contradicts the current lead or happens with the full-strength tournament pool on the pitch.

For the more conditional boards, one more clean senior penalty is often enough to sharpen the backup line or flip the order outright.

Spot a hierarchy shift, a squad-specific wrinkle or a stronger team signal? Contact us here. If you are close to the USA setup and have stronger information, that is exactly the kind of update we want.