Many football fans tuned in to the CBS Arena on Monday night to watch the Championship’s top two meet, and American fans would have especially liked Haji Wright’s second Coventry City hat trick.

The World Cup takes place in the United States this summer, and, predictably, US President Donald Trump is optimistic about the event, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino declaring that he believes the Stars and Stripes can go all the way and win the tournament.

So, with less than four months until the tournament, American citizens and the president will most likely be checking in on some of their prospective stars who will play a significant role in proving Pochettino’s claims.

Wright, who has 20 USMNT national team caps, will compete alongside Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang and wantaway Norwich City player Josh Sargent for a spot in the squad to back up former Arsenal academy prospect Folarin Balogun, it appears.

And, given Monday night’s performance against Middlesbrough, you have to believe he has the upper hand.

Haji Wright’s hat trick against Middlesbrough will improve his World Cup chances.

Wright started the season on fire and was a major contributor to Coventry’s early domination in the Championship, scoring eight goals in the first nine matches.

However, only five goals have been scored since that streak ended in early October, which may appear to be poor form. However, the 27-year-old is regaining his shooting form, not just for the Sky Blues but also for the USMNT.

In January, he scored back-to-back goals in 2-1 victories over Leicester City and Millwall before netting a hat trick in the most important game of the season against Middlesbrough, bringing his season total to 13, with six goals in his last six.

Wright has been a rather streaky attacker since moving to the CBS Arena from Turkish side Antalyaspor in 2023, known for going on barren runs as well as runs where he appears to be unable to stop scoring, and this will hopefully be the start of a run similar to the latter that will carry over into the World Cup.

Not only will this likely help Coventry maintain their Championship lead and achieve a Premier League return for the first time since the 2000/01 season, but it will also put him in the sights of Mauricio Pochettino for a chance to represent his country in a home World Cup.

Donald Trump will be happy with the attacking depth of the USMNT heading into the World Cup.

Going into this summer’s World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino must make a critical decision about which forwards to include in his squad and which to leave out.

Monaco’s Balogun and PSV’s Ricardo Pepi appear to be shoo-ins, considering their goalscoring records in the French and Dutch top flights, respectively, but who the third choice striker will be remains to be seen.

Patrick Agyemang has had an outstanding debut season in the Championship for Derby, and before Wright’s hat trick, both men had 10 league goals for the season, after the 25-year-old had gone on a four-goal run in his last six games.

Some argued that the Rams’ frontman was in control, but Wright’s hat-trick has shifted the pendulum back in his favor, and it might be a direct shoot-out between the two for the final striker slot.

Nonetheless, the fact that there is a debate over who should be left out of the USMNT’s attacking lineup for the World Cup is nearly unprecedented.

From an American perspective, the number of quality options available to Pochettino is refreshing, and President Donald Trump will be hoping that, if Wright is chosen, the 27-year-old can replicate his goal-scoring exploits from Monday night on the world’s biggest stage.