At the heart of the United States Men’s National Team’s (USMNT) evolving goalkeeper situation, Matt Turner is determined to reclaim his position as the team’s top choice ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Speaking from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Turner addressed the challenges he faced during 2025, the hopes he carries for the upcoming year, and his ongoing fight to prove his worth amid shifting perceptions in American soccer. The goalkeeper’s persistence underlines a personal and professional battle to regain trust and secure his spot on the national team.
Looking Back on a Difficult 2025 Season
Matt Turner describes 2025 as a year of stark contrasts: moments of triumph shadowed by tough setbacks. The year was especially testing beyond his role as a goalkeeper, stretching deeply into his life off the field. Early in 2025, the USMNT endured disappointing results, including failure at the CONCACAF Nations League in March and a heavy loss against Switzerland just before the Gold Cup. These struggles coincided with Turner’s relegation to a backup role for much of the season.
His club career also saw considerable instability. After limited playing time with Crystal Palace, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest, Turner went through a complex transfer saga involving Lyon before landing on loan with the New England Revolution. This series of moves was unforeseen and challenging for the 31-year-old goalkeeper, who had to adapt quickly to changing circumstances nearly every month.
Despite these hurdles, Turner experienced distinct highlights in 2025. He celebrated winning the FA Cup with Crystal Palace—the club’s first major trophy—and treasured his daily drives to training alongside teammate Chris Richards, moments that brought laughter and friendship amid the chaos. Additionally, he welcomed the chance to return closer to family in the United States, allowing his children, who spent much of their youth in England, to grow up nearer to home. Throughout the year, Turner stayed connected to the national team, even when his on-field role diminished, appreciating the trust that lingered within the coaching staff.
I try to take them all as even keel as possible because I know that this game can bring things and it can take them away,
Turner reflected.
You just have to take things as they come and let them go as they go. I was an FA Cup winner, and I don’t take that lightly. I played three times for the national team and, even though I lost in all three, I was still playing and the coaches showed that trust in me. Taking my experiences and heading back to New England and doing well at the end of the season, there are so many positives to that.
However, the season’s hardest moments required Turner to confront difficult truths about his form and place in the sport, prompting critical conversations with himself and others.
Struggles Amidst Rising Competition
For much of his USMNT tenure, Turner was the clear first-choice goalkeeper, debuting in 2021 and steadily building his position over multiple years. He was the starter in all four matches at the 2022 World Cup and had consistently made double-digit appearances each year since his debut. That status shifted in 2025 as Matt Freese of New York City FC emerged as the preferred goalkeeper.
After starting two matches in the CONCACAF Nations League and enduring a difficult outing in a 5-0 loss to Switzerland, Turner found himself relegated to backup while Freese assumed the starting role. Freese’s performances firmly positioned him as the front-runner to start at the forthcoming World Cup, prompting many observers to write off Turner’s chances externally. Yet Turner refuses to share that view.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino has emphasized that the selection for the World Cup goalkeeper spot remains open and depends on performance and dedication. Turner remains committed to making that decision as difficult as possible for the coach by demonstrating his readiness to fight for the role.
Ultimately, I want to be the guy that’s relied on in the biggest moments because I’ve proven that in the past,
Turner said.
Maybe I have had a bad game or two, but I have proven that I can be relied on in big moments and can make big plays. For me, I have that self-belief that I will always be able to do that. I know the coaching staff has that belief in me as well. Maybe I wasn’t playing every game, but I know that they believe in me in that sense. I know that I have the trust and belief of my teammates. That’s a really good feeling, and that’s really powerful for me.
It’s about taking it one step at a time. There’s never been a step in my career that has been all sunshine, rainbows, and butterflies for me. It just hasn’t been that way. It’d be selfish to think it’ll start now, so I’m just going to have to push. Man, that’s what it is; I’m just going to keep pushing. I’m not going to accept my fate and, if this staff has shown us anything, they’re willing to shake things up. They’re willing to do whatever they think is the best thing that’s going to help the team win the most, and I believe in that.
The effort to reclaim the top role for the USMNT begins anew with the launch of the 2026 MLS season, intensifying as the national team resumes training in March.
The Unique Bonds and Respect Among Goalkeepers
The goalkeeper position carries complexities unlike any other on the field. It demands a distinctive camaraderie and unity among those who guard the net, forging a “goalkeeper union” based on mutual understanding and respect. Turner highlights that this brotherhood is genuine and not just theoretical.
Adjusting to a secondary role behind Freese has tested Turner’s patience and mental resilience. Training each day with uncertain playing time can be tough, yet Turner approaches the challenge with a mindset of respect and healthy competition. He recognizes that only one keeper can start, and the need to be prepared whether on the pitch or on the bench is constant.
I’ve been around the national team for like seven years now, and it’s something I’ve always felt is important,
Turner stated.
It’s something that I’ve always tried to push where I could push. It’s good to be around good people. I always think that respect breeds success. The same respect I show everybody, I expect to be shown that. It’s good when everything’s good, but I expect to be shown the same respect whether I’m getting the reward of playing the game or not. That’s always what I try to show everyone else, too.
I will push, though. I’ll be disappointed sometimes, but I’ll always compete with the utmost respect because it’s not easy being a goalkeeper, and we only have each other to rely on.
As the goalkeeper battle for the USMNT continues, Freese remains cautious about declaring himself the clear favorite, while Turner holds firm to his aspirations. Pochettino, the ultimate decision-maker, keeps the competition open.
We already know now what Matt [Freese] can provide to the team, and to us, we’ve already checked and tested that he can perform,
Pochettino said in the fall.
And also, when we arrive at the World Cup, I think we need to provide different keepers the possibility to play and feel how they can perform.
With just months remaining until the World Cup, performance on the pitch will be paramount.
Preparing Mentally and Physically for the 2026 Push
This offseason felt atypically long for Turner, offering a rare chance to regroup after a hectic few years. Since mid-October, he has not played a competitive match and was absent from the USMNT during November friendlies. This extended break from game action, while unusual, may prove beneficial for him moving forward.
I haven’t had the time off in so long,
Turner shared.
Having the World Cup looming kept me dialed in, kept me focused, and kept me understanding that I have to use this time wisely to get that extra edge. I think the edge I’m on about is feeling like my body is healthy, my mind is clear, and that the pathway forward is clear. Then it’s also just being eager to get back onto the field, and that’s what I feel. I feel really eager to get started again, and that’s a good place to be.
Rather than causing detachment, this clarity has sharpened Turner’s urgency to perform. With the World Cup approaching rapidly, he acknowledges that the margin for error is minimal and that complete dedication to the current moment is essential.
I’m in another transitional moment, but, in that transition, I can find my grace and my peace by just focusing on day-to-day,
he explained.
That’s what I aim to do. I just need to focus on winning as many games as I can with the Revs, making big saves, and having big moments on a weekly basis. That’s going to position me for March and beyond. If I’m one foot in with the Revs and one foot with the USMNT, it’s not going to go well. I need to be fully immersed in what I do now, and the rest will take care of itself. I really believe that.
Turner’s focus centers on belief, dedication, and rising to big moments. Grateful that 2025 is behind him, he acknowledges the year ahead still holds many opportunities.
I just feel like my pathway forward is very clear,
he said.
I’ve been able to protect my mental space this offseason and focus on me and my family. I think everyone in my circle is ready for it, and they understand what’s coming for me.
As Matt Turner prepares to fight for the starting goalkeeper role, his passion and perseverance may reshape the USMNT’s goalkeeping hierarchy in the lead-up to soccer’s biggest global stage.
