Zavier Gozo has received his first United States men’s national-team call-up after completing a record move from Real Salt Lake to Crystal Palace, becoming one of 13 uncapped players selected by Mauricio Pochettino for the new international cycle. The call-up is a major step for the 19-year-old Utah native, but the supplied report incorrectly describes him as a defender; Gozo is listed by U.S. Soccer as a midfielder and has primarily played as a winger or wing-back.
Gozo joined Crystal Palace on August 18 in a deal reported at $15 million, or roughly £11.1 million, making him Real Salt Lake’s record sale. He signed a five-year contract and became the first Utah-born player to join a Premier League club. Real Salt Lake will also retain a significant percentage of any future transfer fee.
The Palace move capped a rapid rise for Gozo. Before leaving RSL, he had scored 10 goals and registered eight assists since the start of the 2025 MLS season. He has since made three substitute appearances for Crystal Palace while adapting to English football.
Pochettino has selected a 28-player roster for September and October matches against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. The camp marks the beginning of a new cycle focused on the 2030 World Cup, with the 2028 Olympics also part of the federation’s long-range planning.
The 13 uncapped players in the squad are Mathis Albert, Cole Campbell, Justin Ellis, Gozo, Julian Hall, Diego Kochen, Adri Mehmeti, Peyton Miller, Neil Pierre, Brooklyn Raines, Brian Schwake, Cavan Sullivan and Frankie Westfield. Their inclusion reflects Pochettino’s intention to widen the player pool rather than rely only on established internationals.
Pochettino said the camp represents “a fresh start” and stressed that selection will be determined by present performance rather than past standing:
“Now is a fresh start, is a new start… Of course, all have the door open. But now is not what I did in the past. Soccer is about today.”
Gozo joins a group that includes experienced Premier League-based players such as Tyler Adams, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson, as well as established European-based internationals Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman. His Crystal Palace teammate Richards is also in the squad.
The report’s wider transfer roundup needs caution. The official U.S. roster confirms Gozo’s selection, but the cited transfer details for Max Arfsten, Bryan Reynolds and Gio Reyna were not independently established by the sources reviewed. The strongest confirmed development is that Gozo has moved from MLS to Crystal Palace, earned his first senior USMNT call-up within a month, and now has an opportunity to make his international debut as Pochettino begins to shape the next generation of the national team.
