Who will be the captain of the USMNT at the Qatar 2022 World Cup?

The big Brooklyn reveal (20 November, 5 p.m. ET) is ticking closer and closer. And once that deadline has passed, the countdown for the curtain-raiser of Qatar versus Ecuador of this year’s World Cup is well and truly on.

Manager Gregg Berhalter will have had many sleepless nights in the run-up to this moment; his squad of 26 players represent potentially the most talented generation of US players history has seen and the Group of England, Iran and Wales is one in which the USMNT will have some hope of making their mark.

The players included in the squad is a question that friends and relatives, neighbours and co-workers can all spend ours debating and laughing about and arguing - but only Berhalter’s opinion matters and he will choose the 26 players who he sees fit the wear the shirt and badge on their chest at the biggest tournament in the world. But that begs the question: if debating the 26-player squad is hard enough, then how do we go about discussing the captain of the team? Who will be the player wearing the armband on the pitch?

The job of leading this team comes with a sense of pressure that few people on earth have experienced before, and Berhalter will want to give the famous captain’s armband to someone who can carry his message across the white line. The hype is real from the fans, who have already bought tickets in their thousands for the tournament.

It seems as though the decision is down to two players: one of them is perhaps the more obvious choice while the other would represent a shift in responsibilities throughout the team.

Who are the potential USMNT captains?

Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic is the obvious candidate; the man they call ‘Captain America’ would be the choice for many as the leader of the team. He is undoubtedly the highest-profile USMNT player in Europe, having featured for Borussia Dortmund and now at Chelsea. In the last UMSNT match, a 0-0 draw versus Saudi Arabia, Pulisic was given the armband and led the team out of the tunnel.

Despite his profile, the 22/23 season has not been the most prolific for Pulisic so far and he has seen a reduction in his playing minutes under the new manager, Graham Potter, starting only 3 times this season and coming off the bench 9 times in the league. In the Champions League, Pulisic has started only one match so far. He has scored one league goal, a second-half strike against Wolves in a routine 3-0 win and has only a single assist to his name.

He may have the pedigree and profile, but is Pulisic’s form and minutes a potential factor in Berhalter’s decision?

Who is the other option for USMNT captain?

The other potential candidate to wear the armband at the tournament is Leeds United’s Tyler Adams. Under coach Jesse Marsch, the ex-NY Red Bulls midfielder has become a fan favourite amongst Leeds fans for his approach to the game. He plays as Marsch’s ball-winning midfielder and has exceeded many people’s expectations after his summer move from RB Leipzig. The 23 year-old has played in all but one of Leeds’ fixtures this season and that absence was a precautionary one due to a slight injury (a game in which Leeds failed to control the midfield battle and lost 2-3).

Adams has become known in England for his no-nonsense approach to football as well as his tough tackling and reports have even seen him linked with a move to Leeds eternal rivals, Manchester United. His on-ball work may not be spectacular, but he is an effective cog in the Marsch machine and has definitely been Leeds’ standout player this season so far. Adams also has experience leading the national side so his recent performances will no doubt have given Gregg Berhalter a headache when it comes to choosing his new ‘Captain America’.

USMNT World Cup Schedule