Just as Patrick Agyemang has hit his top scoring form for Derby County, Haji Wright has provided some evidence of his own that he should remain in the conversation among the U.S. strikers that Mauricio Pochettino will be selecting for the 2026 World Cup.
Wright hit for a hat trick against Middlesbrough on Monday, scoring all three of Coventry City’s goals in a 3-1 win as part of a table-topping clash in the EFL Championship. With the three points, Coventry regained first place in the table over Boro, which now trails by a point but is still in the second automatic promotion spot through 32 of 46 matches.
Wright scored in the 21st, 55th and 71st minutes to pull within two of the scoring lead, with the forward now on 13 league goals. He entered the day on 10 – the same amount Agyemang has after his soaring header against Swansea City on Saturday. Both strikers are positioning themselves well for the March international window, with Ricardo Pepi still out nursing a broken arm. Folarin Balogun remains the presumed starter, although his scoring pace for Monaco has slowed. Balogun has gone eight games without a goal for his club and has just one in his last 12 matches.
As for Wright, the hat trick saw him break out in a very necessary way. He had been scoreless in his last three appearances, and his scoring pace overall had slowed, with just two goals over a 19-match span in all competitions since he scored a double for the U.S. against Australia this past October.
He scored his first by being involved in the link-up in the final third before timing his run and finishing with a clinical first touch with his left foot.
Haji Wright with the HUGE goal to give Coventry the lead vs. Middlesbrough 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DaM9D8Q6Md
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2026
He netted his second after a field-length goal kick, racing to the ball and finishing with his left on the half-volley to make it 2-0.
HAJI WRIGHT AT THE DOUBLE 🇺🇸✌️ pic.twitter.com/mIeSckyLDz
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2026
He capped the scoring from the penalty spot, calmly putting the match out of reach by going low and to the goalkeeper’s right to account for the final margin.
HAJI WRIGHT WITH THE HAT-TRICK 🔥🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DvuNrtGFx1
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2026
Wright will look to stay hot for Coventry and provide even more evidence for Pochettino in the club’s next match, Saturday against West Brom.