Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie will return to the U.S. men’s national team for the first time since the World Cup as the Americans re-convene next Monday ahead of a two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti.

The 25-man roster named by coach Mauricio Pochettino on Wednesday includes what is likely the United States’ best 11, including its entire starting roster from the World Cup with the exception of the retired Tim Ream.

Pulisic, Balogun and McKennie were all left off the September/October roster, with Pulisic and Balogun both dealing with injury at the time.

This, then, is the first time Balogun will suit up for the national team since his red-card ban was controversially overturned, creating a global uproar before the USMNT’s World Cup loss to Belgium and dampening what had been a breakout summer for the striker. 

Balogun has yet to start a game this season for French club AS Monaco, though he did play a season-high 45 minutes over the weekend, scoring his first goal of the season. Pochettino said that neither Balogun nor Ricardo Pepi is 100 percent healthy, which is why he kept Pepi at home while bringing Justin Ellis and Julian Hall behind Balogun, whose minutes could need watching.

“I think the combination in between Balogun, Ellis and Hall is perfect,” Pochettino said. “Happy to see Balo again because I think after the World Cup, we have the possibility to see and it’s a great opportunity for him to keep improving in his confidence.”

Pulisic has started his club season well with three goals for AC Milan including one in the derby against Inter Milan over the weekend to celebrate his new extension with the Italian giants. So too is it the first chance for Pulisic to put a disappointing and injury-plagued World Cup behind him. 

Given that this is the first meaningful competition the U.S. has played since then, their inclusions were largely expected. Though they’ll be favored against Haiti, the Americans have suffered shocks in the Nations League before, including as recently as 2025, when they finished fourth.

“I think it’s going to be tough because we know the physicality and quality,” Pochettino said of a Haiti squad that finished second in its Nations League group a month ago to qualify for the quarterfinals, following a winless World Cup. “It’s important to show respect, because I think it’s going to be a tough two games.”

The likes of Alex Freeman, Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman were all included in the roster along with the pool’s two best center backs, Chris Richards and Auston Trusty. Matt Freese, the World Cup starter in net, was called in, though it will be interesting to see whether Pochettino taps Brian Schwake or Diego Kochen to play ahead of the NYCFC man.

Behind his written-in-pen best players, however — the World Cup starters plus Sebastian Berhalter and Gio Reyna — Pochettino opted to go for a largely youthful squad.

Cavan Sullivan, the 17-year-old Philadelphia Union wunderkind, is unsurprisingly back.

So too are Red Bulls teenagers Hall and Adri Mehmeti, along with September/October center back call-ins Neil Pierre and George Campbell.

Mathis Albert, the 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder, will also return for another go-around, and received notable praise from Pochettino.

“He’s a player with a quality that is not easy to find in another player,” Pochettino said. “For me, Mathis is one of the most talented players in the USA.”

Hall, notably, will be cap-tied to the United States should he appear in either game this window, ending any chance he could file a one-time switch to Poland — a possibility he entertained in an interview with The Post’s Christian Arnold in September.

Campbell exited West Brom’s match on Monday at halftime with a reported groin injury and still needs to be cleared, Pochettino said. There are backup plans in the works if he is unable to go.

Nashville SC right back Reed Baker-Whiting and SC Paderborn midfielder Santiago Castañeda are the only two uncapped players to be called in. 

Stade-Rennais right back Bryan Reynolds, whose last cap was in 2023, was a surprise call-in as well ahead of Joe Scally, the Long Island native who was on the World Cup roster and has played well lately at the same position. 

The first leg against Haiti is a week from Saturday, with a “road” game being held in Miami due to security concerns in Haiti.