Mauricio Pochettino officially unveils the United States' 2026 World Cup roster ahead of the World Cup on home soil.
The United States has a long list of players performing well for their club teams and manager Mauricio Pochettino has had to make some difficult decisions ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Christian Pulisic, Chris Richards, and Weston McKennie are all but guaranteed starters, but who will join them during the prestigious tournament this summer?
Jump ahead here:
United States' 2026 World Cup Roster
Goalkeepers (3) | Club | USMNT Caps / Goals |
|---|---|---|
| New York City FC | (14 / 0) |
Defenders (10) | ||
| Crystal Palace | (36 / 3) |
Midfielders (7) | ||
| Juventus | (64 / 12) |
Forwards (6) | ||
| AC Milan | (84 / 32) |
Poch has shown significant affection to MLS standouts Max Arfsten and Sebastian Berhalter, and both players offer versatility and desire to the team that has been scrutinized for the lack of heart.
Roldan, Ream, Robinson, Freese, Turner and Brady are the other MLS players on the 26-man roster.
Goalkeepers:
Mauricio Pochettino has shown to favor MLS goalkeepers in the USMNT's recent international fixtures, and he's done the same for the World Cup. NYCFC's Matt Freese has emerged as the No. 1 after the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and has not done anything to suggest he should not be the American's first choice keeper.
Matt Turner and Chris Brady are both quality backups, and Turner has the international pedigree of starting throughout the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Brady is yet to appear for the USMNT at all, and will likely not see the pitch as the third choice keeper.
Defenders:
Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson's Premier League ability made them easy choices for the roster in 2026. They will joined by USMNT veteran Tim Ream who brings much needed leadership and experience to this roster, but Ream has really showed his age (38) during the first half of the MLS season.
Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson or Auston Trusty are the reserves in the center of defense, but one of them could find themselves as a consistent starter if Ream does not have the legs that Pochettino will require.
Sergino Dest and 21-year-old Alex Freeman will lock down the right side of defense. Freeman has jumped onto the scene and is beloved by Pochettino, but Dest's quality going forward makes him the favorite the start.
Joe Scally can also be a viable option anywhere across the backline, and could be used as utility defender. Max Arfsten is a primarily a midfielder, but can also be used as a left back. Pochettino often uses him deeper in more experienced squads, but expect Robinson to dominate that position for most of the tournament.
Midfielders:
McKennie, Adams, and Tillman are the best midfield trio that the USMNT can put on the pitch. Adams has struggled with injuries throughout his career so Berhalter and Christian Roldan will provide cover for the Bournemouth midfielder.
Johnny Cardoso was surely to be in the team, but will not be fit after opting for surgery to repair his ankle. For more info, read our Johnny Cardoso Injury Update.
Roldan brings a calm veteran personality to this team, and plays at really high performance floor. He is not the most flashy player on the team, but he always does what is asked. Berhalter is great passer and goalscorer from the midfield, and Pochettino's admiration of MLS talent gets him in the team.
Gio Reyna is controversial pick after picking up significant media attention for not getting opportunities with the national team that he feels he deserves. Poch clearly agrees with Reyna, and believes his attacking quality and the ability to create something out of nothing going forward for the USMNT could help the team succeed this summer.
Brendan Aaronson has been performing well at Leeds United in the Premier League so he'll find himself in backup position alongside Reyna and behind Tillman. Both players can also lineup out wide if necessary providing cover for Pulisic and Tim Weah.
Forwards:
Nicknamed 'Captain America' - Christian Pulisic is a lock for the starting eleven if fit and he will likely don the armband for the star and stripes.
Striker has been a challenge for the Americans in recent years, but Folarin Balogun is emerging as the best option in that department after the recent international windows. He has scored in each of his last three starts for the US.
Haji Wright has also been in exceptional form at the club level, scoring 17 goals in 40 games for Coventry City this season. Wright bagged a brace in a 2-1 win over Australia in October, proving he can do it with his national team as well. Ricardo Pepi is the other choice for the striker for the Americans.
Patrick Agyemang would have pushed Pepi and Wright for a spot on this team but he will be unavailable due to injuring his Achilles tendon.
Weah will find himself on the wing at some point during the 2026 World Cup barring injury. Weah has experience with the USMNT and provides an extra dribbling and goalscoring threat down the right, but can also slot into a right wing-back role. Alejandro Zendejas will likely be his backup in that position.
Players Who Missed the Cut
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Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann and Yunus Musah are the biggest snubs to the USMNT roster this year, but each player is sure to find themselves back in the fold post-World Cup.
Diego Luna is a powerful runner with the ball - something that this team has not always had - and could have provided a major spark off the bench. Few other players come close to the grit and determination that Luna has shown while playing for his national team.
Tanner Tessmann is a notable exclusion due to his composure on the ball, but Poch's affection for the MLS talents means that the 24-year-old will be watching from the couch rather than on the pitch.
Musah's lack of minutes for his club team make the exclusion much easier to understand. Although he's a talented and versatile midfielder, Pochettino opted for consistent starting production rather than Musah's upside for this team.
USMNT Best XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
ST: | ||||||
LW: | AM: | RW: | ||||
CM: | CM: | |||||
LB: | CB: | CB: | RB: | |||
GK: |
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