USMNT's Gaga Slonina leaves Chelsea for Barnsley loan: What it means for U.S. soccer at 2026 World Cup

Chelsea's American goalkeeper Gaga Slonina is heading to Barnsley on loan and could be climbing a step closer to being ready for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Slonina, 20, will be joining the League One side in pursuit of promotion back to the Championship.

They came close last season losing to Bolton Wanderers in the first round of the League One playoffs and Slonina will also have another American there with him in center back Donovan Pines. Slonina spent last season on loan with Eupen in the Belgian top flight after joining Chelsea from the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. He spoke with CBS Sports to discuss his next move.

"I think it's going to be a really good experience for me to be here for the season and to experience the English leagues building my way up step by step," said Slonina, in an interview with CBS Sports Golazo Network -- which you can watch here. "I think it's going to be good for me to get the game experience and help this team get to the Championship."

This weekend the Championship and the rest of the English Football League action kicks off as the journey to the richest Game in sport begins, and you can catch the action on Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network and CBS Sports Network all season long. 

Slonina made 34 appearances with Eupen last season and also made his debut for the United States men's national team, but there's room for improvement. While Slonina was the starting keeper for the United States at the U-20 World Cup,  Columbus Crew keeper Patrick Schulte got the nod for the United States at the Olympic Games in Paris.

He'll get plenty of match experience for Barnsley as League One teams play 46 games per season. Playing those with the pressure of promotion on the line will only be a good experience for the young keeper as he grows.

"Getting all those Games at Eupen was a stepping stone for coming here," Slonina said.

Coming from MLS, Eupen is good progression to Europe before now getting experience in England. The adjustment from the pace of play in MLS can be tough for players so being able to take things in stages at such a young age helps prepare Slonina, but he also welcomes the pressure.

"Playing for the United States is always an honor and getting to represent the country and make my family proud is amazing so especially now, this season is going to be very important for me to play well," Slonina said. "So that's an added level of pressure which I think is very important. So getting to play for the USMNT is always a goal of mine."

The Morning Footy crew asked Slonina about how he felt that CBS Sports analyst and former United States international Tony Meola thinks that he'll be the starting keeper at the World Cup in 2026 as current starter Matt Turner has struggled for consistent club minutes. 

"I know Tony Meola from the time I was playing in Chicago, he was commentating on our games, so to hear that from him, it doesn't add pressure to me," Slonina said about the high praise. "I think that's a level of motivation for me to live up to that and prove him right and anyone who doesn't think that, prove them wrong. So that's obviously the goal to be the starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup."

Mindset is important and while this may not be a Premier League move for Slonina, it is a move that will help prepare him for bigger days ahead. League One is a place where he will face a ton of shots and be expected to help Barnsley keep as many clean sheets as possible. Do that, and considering the lack of playing time of USMNT, a starting role on the senior national team could come sooner rather than later.