NEW YORK — Coach Mauricio Pochettino of the United States men’s national soccer team revealed his 26-player roster for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, featuring key players like Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie leading the pack.
Thirteen players from this roster participated in the squad that reached the round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, while the other 13 will be making their World Cup debuts.
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This roster includes notable players such as Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven, Crystal Palace‘s defensive player Chris Richards, and FC Cincinnati‘s defender Miles Robinson. Pepi was one of the last cuts from the 2022 roster, while Richards and Robinson would likely have made that team if not for injuries.
Pochettino shared that some selections were challenging and left him restless over the last couple of weeks. “It’s heart-wrenching because I know personally what it’s like to be left off a roster,” he explained. “In 1994, during the World Cup in the USA, I was so close, and in 1998 I faced the same fate.”
He continued, “That’s why it was so hard for me to make these decisions, but it’s part of my role. It’s not just about determining how we will play or how we want to come together; it’s also about creating the final 26-player roster.”
This World Cup marks the first time since 1994 that the U.S., alongside co-hosts Canada and Mexico, is hosting the event.
Multiple media outlets, including ESPN, reported the complete roster on Saturday after players were informed of Pochettino’s selections on Friday. The roster announcement was confirmed during an event in New York City on Tuesday.
The selection was generally predictable, with ESPN’s final USMNT big board correctly predicting 25 of the 26 players chosen. The only surprise was the exclusion of Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann, who was sidelined for the latter part of the club season due to a “muscle strain,” as stated by manager Paulo Fonseca.
Although Tessmann was expected to recover in time, Pochettino chose not to include the former FC Dallas and Venezia midfielder. Instead of bringing in another central midfielder like Middlesbrough’s Aidan Morris, Pochettino selected Borussia Mönchengladbach‘s defender Joe Scally, culminating in a squad featuring 10 defenders.
“It’s essential to provide appropriate balance in the roster,” Pochettino elaborated on his decision-making. “And I felt it was crucial to have enough depth in the center with the center-back.”
Other midfield choices include Vancouver Whitecaps‘ Sebastian Berhalter, son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, now head coach of Chicago Fire, alongside Adams, McKennie, and Cristian Roldan from Seattle Sounders.
Another significant absence is Real Salt Lake forward Diego Luna. Viewed as a Pochettino favorite following impressive showings over the last 16 months, including notable performances in the 2025 Gold Cup, Luna’s position remained uncertain due to others’ form and fitness.
Pochettino ultimately chose to include players such as Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson, Gladbach’s Gio Reyna, Club América’s Alejandro Zendejas, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Malik Tillman, completing an attacking group alongside Pulisic and Marseille‘s Tim Weah.
Reyna’s selection generated some debate, as he has logged just 137 minutes in league play across eight matches since the year’s start. Nevertheless, Pochettino valued Reyna’s creativity and unpredictable play enough to include him.
The U.S. attacking players are in superb form. AS Monaco‘s Folarin Balogun tallied 19 goals and four assists this season. Haji Wright contributed 17 goals for Coventry City, which helped the club secure promotion to the English Premier League. Meanwhile, Pepi scored 19 goals in all competitions for PSV in the Netherlands’ top flight.
The roster remains unofficial until submitted to FIFA, with all teams required to finalize their rosters by Monday, June 1. After the U.S. roster submission, replacements for injured players can be made until 24 hours before the opening match against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California.
Members of the 26-player squad average 26 years and 332 days, making this roster the fifth youngest that the U.S. has sent to a World Cup based on the date of their first match.
If defender Tim Ream participates against Paraguay, at 38 years and 250 days, he will become the oldest player to compete for the U.S. in a World Cup. The previous record was held by Fernando Clavijo, who played at 37 years and 162 days. Frank Moniz, who was on the 1950 team, is noted as the oldest player ever named to a roster at 38 years and 272 days.
Following the match against Paraguay, the U.S. will face Australia in Seattle on June 19, concluding the group stage in Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium against Türkiye on June 25.
Before this, the U.S. will hold warm-up matches against Senegal in Charlotte on Sunday and against Germany in Chicago on June 6.
Complete U.S. World Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 0 caps/0 goals), Matt Freese (New York City FC, 14/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution, 53/0)
Defenders (10): Max Arfsten (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), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 52/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 24/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic, 6/0)
Midfielders (4): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth, 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, 11/1), Weston McKennie (Juventus, 64/12), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders, 45/0)
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 57/9), Christian Pulisic (Milan, 84/32), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 36/9), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 28/3), Tim Weah (Marseille, 49/7), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América, 13/2)
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, 25/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 35/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)