Meet the USMNT players headed to the 2026 World Cup
The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team has officially announced its 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, which combines veteran stars and rising young talent ahead of the tournament.
The U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup roster has been announced. This time it actually is.
Three days after the team’s full roster was leaked, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino officially announced the 26-man roster for the 2026 tournament on Tuesday, May 26th.
The release confirms that the 26 names match those first reported by the Guardian over the weekend, confirming that the leak is indeed accurate.
There weren’t too many surprises with the names, but there were one or two decisions that gave me a headache.
“I am convinced that these 26 players are the best group to achieve success at the World Cup,” Pochettino said.
“These were very difficult decisions to make, and we are grateful to all of our players for joining us on this journey. This group is extremely focused and ready to give their all to represent the United States and put on a performance that will make our fans and country proud.”
Here’s a look at the USMNT’s entire 2026 World Cup roster and four key takeaways.
(club, cap/goal)
goalkeeper (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freeze (New York City FC; 14/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 53/0)
defender (10): Max Alfsten (Columbus Crew; 18/1), Sergiño Dest (PSV; 37/2), Alex Freeman (Villarreal; 15/2), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse; 27/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 80/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; 36/3), Anthony Robinson (Fulham; 52/4), Myles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 38/3), Joe Scully (Borussia Mönchengladbach; 24/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic; 6/0)
midfielder (6): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps; 11/1), Weston McKennie (Juventus; 64/12), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach; 36/9), Christian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 45/0), Malik Tillman (Bayer) Leverkusen; 28/3)
Forward (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; 57/9), Folarin Balogun (Monaco; 25/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV; 35/13), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan; 84/32), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille; 49/7), Hadji Wright (Coventry City; 20/7), Alejandro Zende. (20/7). America 13/2)
USMNT’s central midfield looks thin
Removing Middlesbrough’s Aidan Morris from the roster wouldn’t have been such a surprise if everyone was healthy. But could Lyon’s Tanner Tessmann and Atletico Madrid’s Johnny Cardoso both leave the team? That’s another story.
Pochettino named only four recognized central midfielders to his roster: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Cristian Roldan and Weston McKennie. Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna are more comfortable playing higher up as No. 10, but both can also be shifted further back if needed.
Still, Pochettino’s decision raises some real questions for a central midfielder who has played on a double pivot. If McKennie and Adams are selected, they could be stripped of the roaming ability that makes McKennie so effective.
Is Pochettino ready to start either Berhalter or Roldan? Both have excelled in MLS, but this would be a big step up for both players.
The manager may also change the shape of the midfield. In any case, the United States is just one game away from injuries in the midfield (especially Adams), which puts them in a very dangerous situation.
Gio Reyna’s potential exceeds Diego Luna’s guts
Pochettino had room to sign either Gio Reyna or Diego Luna, but not both. He chose Reina, a player with a high ceiling who continues to be a dominant force at club level.
Reyna has the talent to be a superstar, but he has been a benchwarmer for the past five years with the club.
However, the 23-year-old has managed to improve his ability with the USMNT in recent years. His ability has led manager Pochettino to admit he has had to deviate from his usual policy of calling up the best players at his clubs.
That left no room for Luna, whose grit on both sides of the ball made him a valuable cog under Pochettino. However, his work with the USMNT was mixed.
Missing out on the World Cup will be tough for Luna, who played in 17 of the USMNT’s 18 games last year. But for Pochettino, Reina was too talented to ignore.
USMNT has an excess of defenders on its roster
Basically, all the defensive players on the roster bubble are participating, with mainstays Chris Richards, Anthony Robinson, and Sergiño Dest joined by bubble players Auston Trusty and Joe Scully.
Pochettino bringing in 10 defensive players lends credence to the idea of continuing with a five-man backline, including three centre-backs and two wing-backs.
It also suggests Pochettino may be hedging his bets by bringing in as many options as possible in a group full of question marks.
The only solid central defensive option is Richards, who is currently recovering from torn ankle ligaments sustained in the penultimate game of the English Premier League season against Crystal Palace. His status for Wednesday’s Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano is unclear. Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson all bring their own question marks based on their recent performances for club and country.
Dest and Robinson are strong options at wing-back, but Max Arksten, Alex Freeman and Joe Scully can also play in this position. Freeman and Scully are also candidates for the right center back position.
The USMNT’s defense doesn’t inspire confidence, but Pochettino will at least have some options.
The young gun will wait until the 2030 World Cup
As the MLS season began, three teenagers quickly emerged as stars for the United States at the youth level.
Xavier Gozo, Julian Hall, and Adri Mehmedi are all taking their games to the next level in 2026, and all three are being called up for the USMNT’s first call-up to the World Cup.
Of the three, Gozo may have been the closest to actually making the squad, but in the end none of the trio received a call-up.
The same goes for on-again, off-again defender Noakai Banks, who declined his call-up in March to consider his international future. The 19-year-old has not yet chosen between the United States and Germany, but he will not play in the World Cup with either country.
