The 26-player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been finalized, blending World Cup veterans with 13 tournament debutants.
The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) has finalized its 26-player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino officially announced the squad on Tuesday in New York City. The roster includes 13 players who participated in the 2022 World Cup and 13 who will be making their tournament debut.
Roster Confirmation and Announcement Process
The squad was confirmed by multiple sources in the days leading up to a formal announcement on Tuesday at an event in Manhattan. Pochettino informed a provisional group of 55 players of their status on Friday via email; those selected also received a congratulatory video message from the coach.
Pochettino stated that the decision-making process was difficult but defended the method of notification, saying that players who were not selected typically do not wish to receive a personal phone call. The final roster must be submitted to FIFA by June 1, with changes allowed after that only in cases of serious injury or illness.
Full Squad by Position
Goalkeepers (3)
- Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 22 years old, 0 caps)
- Matt Freese (New York City FC, 27, 14 caps)
- Matt Turner (New England Revolution, 31, 53 caps)
Defenders (10)
- Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew, 25, 18 caps)
- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven, 25, 37 caps)
- Alex Freeman (Villarreal, 21, 15 caps)
- Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, 27, 27 caps)
- Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 38, 80 caps)
- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 26, 36 caps)
- Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 28, 52 caps)
- Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, 29, 38 caps)
- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 23, 24 caps)
- Auston Trusty (Celtic, 27, 6 caps)
Midfielders (6)
- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth, 27, 52 caps)
- Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, 25, 11 caps)
- Weston McKennie (Juventus, 27, 64 caps)
- Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 23, 36 caps)
- Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders, 30, 45 caps)
- Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 23, 28 caps)
Forwards (7)
- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 25, 57 caps)
- Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, 24, 25 caps)
- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven, 23, 35 caps)
- Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, 27, 84 caps)
- Tim Weah (Olympique de Marseille, 26, 49 caps)
- Haji Wright (Coventry City, 28, 20 caps)
- Alejandro Zendejas (Club América, 28, 13 caps)
Notable Selections and Omissions
Inclusions
- Gio Reyna was selected despite limited playing time at club level. Over the past three seasons, he logged 1,835 minutes, scoring three goals and providing two assists. Pochettino referred to him as a "special situation" with "enormous talent."
- Alejandro Zendejas was included after receiving limited minutes under Pochettino during his tenure. He has 12 goals and 7 assists in Liga MX this season.
- Defender Chris Richards is included after recovering from an ankle ligament injury. He is expected to be available for the World Cup.
Omissions
- Midfielder Tanner Tessmann (Lyon) was not selected despite being in six camps under Pochettino. He started 22 Ligue 1 matches this season before being sidelined due to injury.
- Midfielder Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake) was omitted. He appeared in all but one of the USMNT's 18 matches in 2025 but was dealing with a muscle injury.
- Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) and Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake) were not included.
Team Composition and Background
The squad includes 10 defenders, four central/defensive midfielders, six attacking midfielders/wingers, and three strikers. Pochettino indicated that wing-backs could feature in defensive or midfield roles.
Fourteen of the 26 players were part of U.S. Soccer's U-14 Talent Identification Program, and 23 have played for a U.S. Youth National Team.
Pre-Tournament Schedule
The team will train at the National Training Center in Fayetteville, Georgia, before playing two friendlies:
- May 31 vs. Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina
- June 6 vs. Germany in Chicago, Illinois
The team will move to its World Cup training base in Orange County, California, on June 7.
World Cup Group Stage (Group D)
- June 12 vs. Paraguay in Inglewood, California
- June 19 vs. Australia in Seattle, Washington
- June 25 vs. Turkey in Inglewood, California