It's another busy international break for members of New York City FC.
There's a two-week pause in the Major League Soccer action before the regular season ends on Decision Day vs Seattle Sounders FC, but nine players from the club, plus one very notable loaned-out alumnus, got call-ups from their national teams.
As with international breaks of the recent past, we've compiled all the information on all the NYCFC players called up: Who called them up, plus the details on the matches they'll be playing during their stints with their national teams.
Matt Freese, United States
Matches: International Friendlies: Friday, October 10, vs Ecuador, Q2 Stadium, Austin, TX, 8:30 pm ET; Tuesday, October 14, vs Australia, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO, 9:00 pm ET
Freese gets another chance to impress in his push to be the starting goalkeeper for the United States at the rapidly-approaching 2026 FIFA World Cup. The New York City goalkeeper started in goal in each of the last eight USMNT matches, keeping a clean sheet against Japan in a much-needed friendly win that settled things down a bit after back-to-back losses in the Gold Cup final vs Mexico, then in a friendly vs South Korea. There was some doubt around Freese given he subbed out of NYCFC's match early with a head injury on September 27, but he was good to go the following weekend in Philadelphia, and makes this roster.
There are three other goalkeepers from MLS on the roster to compete with Freese – Chris Brady of Chicago Fire FC, Patrick Schulte of the Columbus Crew, and the player considered Freese's biggest rival for that starting World Cup spot, Matt Turner of the New England Revolution.
This feels like a window in which we might see Mauricio Pochettino rotate Freese out of the Starting XI to get a look at one of the three other keepers called in. Selfish NYCFC watchers will be hoping that doesn't happen against Australia, since it would deprive us of a chance to watch Freese go head-to-head with club teammate Aiden O'Neill.
James Sands, United States
Yes, we're aware he's playing for FC St. Pauli now, but this is such a huge call-up for Sands that it can't go unmentioned. This is the first call-up for Sands from Mauricio Pochettino, as the last time the loaned-out NYCFC midfielder was in camp with the USMNT was in January 2024 under then-coach Gregg Berhalter. After the 2024 season, Sands left New York City for Germany and established himself as a starter in midfield with St. Pauli – only for his first season in the Bundesliga to end prematurely and abruptly when he suffered a brutal ankle injury in mid-February.
St. Pauli made a deal with NYCFC to extend their Sands loan even despite the injury and he's started the 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign strong, in the lineup and looking generally solid in all six matches to open the season. He's done enough to make himself worthy of a late-in-the-cycle first call from Pochettino, and Sands might have an immediate opening in search of minutes, as the roster for these October games is missing AFC Bournemouth defensive midfielder Tyler Adams, away from the USMNT while awaiting the birth of a child.
Sands in midfield and Freese in goal, something seen a lot in New York City in 2023 and 2024 that might also now become a thing for the United States.
Seymour Reid, Jamaica
Matches: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Friday, October 10, at Curacao, Ergilio Hato Stadium, Willemstad, Curacao, 7:00 pm ET; Tuesday, October 14, vs Bermuda, The Office (the National Stadium), Kingston, Jamaica, 8:00 pm ET
The 2025 breakout continues for New York City's 17-year-old striker. Reid actually kicked his big year off with the Jamaica U-17 team, scoring three goals and adding four assists during the Concacaf U-17 Championships to determine who qualified for this November's FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. So it's full-circle that he has now parlayed a prolific season in MLS Next Pro with New York City FC II, and a season in which he broke through at the MLS level and scored his first MLS goal, into a call-up from the full Jamaica national team for two full-on World Cup qualifiers.
Jamaica's opponents during this window, Curacao and Bermuda, are ones you'd expect the Reggae Boyz to beat and maybe beat comfortably, so we might actually see Reid out there for coach Steve McClaren. Jamaica sits atop their group with two wins from two qualifiers played, so they're in prime position to solidify their hold on a berth in next summer's World Cup – all three group winners from this round of qualifiers guarantees themselves a spot in the tournament.
This call-up for Reid was hinted at earlier by the Jamaican federation, as the teenaged striker was listed among Jamaica's "Road to '26 Watchlist," a big long list of players under consideration for call-ups during the qualifying process that they put out before the September international window. Reid scored 13 goals in 15 appearances for NYCFC II this season, and added one MLS goal for NYCFC in 13 appearances. He's the youngest goalscorer in NYCFC's history and now he'll look to break in as a very young member of Jamaica's squad.
Alonso Martínez, Costa Rica
Matches: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Thursday, October 9, at Honduras, Estadio Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, 10:00 pm ET; Monday, October 13, vs Nicaragua, National Stadium, San Jose, Costa Rica, 10:00 pm ET
If ever there was a call-up that warranted finger-crossing and breath-holding among fans of a player's club team, it's this one. Alonso Martínez heads off to play two hugely important World Cup qualifiers for Costa Rica as he's still seemingly trying to recover from the quad/adductor injury that he's been dealing with for weeks, the one that kept him out of the Hudson River Derby and has led to a slight reduction of his minutes played for NYCFC.
Costa Rica went winless in a pair of September qualifiers, earning only two draws against Nicaragua away and then Haiti at home, so these matches at Honduras and home against Nicaragua are vital and almost must-wins for Los Ticos if they want to automatically clinch a World Cup spot as a group winner during this round of qualifying. That means it's all-hands-on-deck and that also means Martínez is with the national team – he returned to start for NYCFC in the last match before this international break at Philadelphia, but he also only went 59 minutes in that game. It feels fair to wonder how close to 100% health the striker really is, but also, if he's healthy enough to contribute at club level, it makes sense to see him give it a go for the national team at an extreme moment of need.
World Cup qualification is on the line, but the question becomes, will that qualification lead to health sacrifices for NYCFC's most important attacking player? We'll see how Martínez holds up between now and October 13.
Tomás Romero, El Salvador
Matches: World Cup Qualifiers: Friday, October 10, vs Panama, Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador, 9:00 pm ET; Tuesday, October 14, vs Guatemala, Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador, 10:00 pm ET
For a minute it looked like Romero might head into his latest El Salvador call-up functioning as New York City FC's starting goalkeeper. He closed out the Hudson River Derby for NYCFC on September 27 when Matt Freese came off with a head injury, but Freese shook off any symptoms and returned to the lineup in place of Romero on October 4 in Philadelphia.
Instead Romero remains NYCFC's backup and heads into camp with La Selecta to likely serve as the backup to their first-choice goalkeeper, Mario Gonzalez of Alianza FC in El Salvador. Romero was on the bench as a substitute behind Gonzalez for both of El Salvador's matches during the September window of World Cup qualifiers, an away win over Guatemala followed by a home loss to Suriname.
Romero last played for El Salvador in November 2024 in Concacaf Nations League, though he's been busier for New York City FC at club level in 2025, making five appearances in all competitions and establishing himself as a solid backup to the first-choice Freese. He enters these qualifiers ready if called upon, as he proved to be a few weekends ago in his native New Jersey.
Aiden O'Neill, Australia
Matches: International Friendlies: Friday, October 10, at Canada, Stade Saputo, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, 7:30 pm ET; Tuesday, October 14, at United States, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO, 9:00 pm ET
It must be a relief for O'Neill that both of these Australia friendlies are in North America, shaving thousands of miles of flying off his itinerary this month. Unfortunate for his A-League teammates making the long journey over, but O'Neill can use any bit of rest he can get right now. He's had zero break in seasons since the fall of 2024 when he was still with Standard Liege in Belgium, and has logged 52 matches played at the club level since July 28, 2024, when he went 90 minutes and served as captain in Standard's Juliper Pro League season opener.
When you add his 10 appearances for the Socceroos since the summer of 2024, O'Neill has played a total of 62 matches, with his only real break coming when he was between clubs and on his way out of Standard Liege and on his way into NYCFC earlier this year in March. He's been an important stabilizing addition to New York City's midfield at club level, and he helped Australia clinch their World Cup spot by earning back-to-back wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia this June. We'll see how many minutes he logs in these preparatory friendlies right in his new backyard here in the Western Hemisphere.
Mitja Ilenic, Slovenia U-21
Matches: UEFA U-21 Euros qualifiers: Friday, October 10, at Israel, BSC Stadium, Budaörs, Hungary, 12:00 pm ET; Tuesday, October 14, vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stadion Bonifika, Koper-Capodistria, Slovenia, 12:00 pm ET
The Slovenia U-21s got crushed in their opening qualifying match of the 2027 edition of the UEFA U-21 European Championship, losing 5-0 away to Norway’s U-21s on September 9 in Drammen.
Ilenič played all 90 minutes in that loss and returns to the national team hoping to right the ship against Israel and Bosnia and Herzegovina. None of those three just-mentioned teams in Group G have won a match yet, so despite the heavy loss in the opener, Slovenia is a win away from jumping out of the basement of the group.
Ilenič’s role at NYCFC has lessened since the summer when he was mentioned in transfer rumors, and since Tayvon Gray grabbed hold of the starting right-back job. He’s been a steady presence for Slovenia at youth levels and now gets another shot this window to impress — maybe his current and prospective future club, maybe the head coach of Slovenia’s senior national team — in a pair of important Euros qualifiers.
Máximo Carrizo, United States U-17
Matches: n/a; Training Camp from October 6-10 at McCurry Park in Fayetteville, GA
Carrizo has been a regular with the US U-17s, helping them qualify for this fall's U-17 World Cup by powering the team's attack during a perfect run through the Concacaf U-17 Championships. Carrizo scored five goals and had two assists in those U-17 qualifiers and has appeared in every training camp convened since. He seems like a lock to be a part of the 21-player squad that travels to Qatar in November, where they will play Burkina Faso (Nov. 5), Tajikistan (Nov. 8) and Czechia (Nov. 11) in Group I at the FIFA U17 World Cup. He's got this window training down in Georgia to continue to cement his place in the World Cup squad, and then the bigger games are on tap in a few weeks.
Jonathan Shore, United States U-19
Drew Baiera, United States U-19
Peter Molinari, United States U-17
Matches: U-19 Friendlies in Spain: Saturday, October 11, vs Northern Ireland, La Quinta Football Center, Málaga, Spain, 9:00 am ET; Tuesday, October 14, vs Belgium, Banús Football Center, Málaga, Spain, 8:00 am ET
U-17 Friendlies in Spain: Thursday, October 9, vs Netherlands, 5:00 am ET; Saturday, October 11, vs Northern Ireland, 9:00 am ET; Tuesday, October 14, vs Portugal, 5:00 am ET; All matches at Pinatar Arena, Murcia, Spain
The youth national teams stay busy for the United States. The U-19s assemble to play two friendlies, with NYCFC Homegrowns Jonny Shore and Drew Baiera called up again after receiving similar invites in September. There are also two different U-17 squads active during this window, with the above-mentioned Carrizo staying in the United States in Georgia, while another group of U-17s which includes NYCFC II midfielder and sometime-reserve for NYCFC in MLS, Peter Molinari, will be in Spain to play three friendlies in quick succession against European opponents. All three of Shore, Baiera, and Molinari have been regulars in youth national team camps for the United States the last few seasons, and now have another chance to travel abroad and make an impression on the program.
