Pochettino announces final USA roster for the 2026 World Cup: Pulisic, Adams and McKennie lead the host nation
The United States men's national soccer team announced on May 26, 2026, its final 26-player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament that will be played from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The roster was presented at an event in New York, at Pier 17 in Manhattan, in a live television broadcast that, according to the announcement by the U.S. Soccer Federation, was designed as a public team presentation and fan celebration ahead of the start of the tournament. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino thereby concluded the most sensitive part of the host nation's preparations, because he had to select from a wider pool of candidates the group that will try to use the advantage of playing on home soil.
According to the U.S. Soccer announcement and reports from the presentation, the backbone of the national team is made up of the best-known players of the current generation: Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi. This is a group mostly built around players with experience from European leagues, but also around several footballers from MLS. The roster includes players who compete in England, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Scotland, Mexico, Canada and the USA, which confirms the depth of the squad that Pochettino had at his disposal in the final phase of selection.
The decision attracted great attention also because the USA is entering a World Cup as one of the hosts for the first time since 1994. For the American national team, that creates a different sporting and public pressure than in previous tournaments, because more is expected from the team than simply advancing from the group. According to FIFA's schedule, the USA will play in Group D against Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, and all three group-stage matches will be played on the west coast of the United States.
The roster brought the expected core, but also several surprises
According to the roster published after the event in New York, Pochettino included three goalkeepers, ten defenders, six midfielders and seven attack-minded players, although some footballers can be used in multiple positions in different systems. The goalkeeper list includes Chris Brady from Chicago Fire, Matt Freese from New York City FC and Matt Turner from New England Revolution. Turner enters as the most experienced name among the goalkeepers, while Brady and Freese represent domestic MLS competition that imposed itself during the cycle.
In defence are Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally and Auston Trusty. That is numerically the widest part of the roster, indicating Pochettino's intention to have both full-back positions, centre-back alternatives and players capable of responding to different opponents' rhythms covered for a tournament with a possible seven matches. Antonee Robinson from Fulham, Sergiño Dest from PSV, Chris Richards from Crystal Palace and veteran Tim Ream stand out in particular, combining experience from the strongest European competitions and a long-standing national-team role.
In midfield are Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Cristian Roldan and Malik Tillman. That group combines defensive balance, running power and creativity, but it is also the part of the roster that sparked the most discussion. According to The Guardian's report from the announcement, Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris are among the most notable omissions. Luna received significant minutes in attacking roles during Pochettino's tenure, while Tessmann and Morris were candidates for additional depth in the centre of the pitch. Their omission shows that the head coach gave priority to a different squad structure, with a larger number of defenders and attacking profiles.
The attack consists of Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright and Alejandro Zendejas. Pulisic remains the most recognisable name of the American national team and the player expected to carry the greatest creative burden. Balogun and Pepi bring options at centre-forward, Wright offers a physical dimension and finishing, while Aaronson, Weah and Zendejas can cover wide and half-space roles. Zendejas's inclusion was especially highlighted in the American media because, according to The Guardian, he had limited minutes under Pochettino, but still received the advantage over some players who were more often mentioned as candidates.
The final 26 for the tournament
- Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution).
- Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic).
- Midfielders: Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).
- Forwards and wingers: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Marseille), Haji Wright (Coventry City), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América).
Pochettino closes the selection after a long and pressured cycle
Mauricio Pochettino took over the job with the clear task of preparing the national team for a tournament in which every host-nation match will be under close scrutiny. Even before the announcement, U.S. Soccer stressed that the head coach was looking for "the right 26", and not necessarily just a group of the most high-profile individuals. Such an approach is also visible in the final selection, in which balance across the lines, tactical flexibility and the ability to adapt to different opponents clearly carried great weight.
According to The Guardian's report, Pochettino used 61 players during his tenure, showing how broad the selection process was. That detail is especially important because national teams at a major tournament do not rely only on the first eleven, but also on the ability to change the rhythm of a match, respond to injuries and adapt to opponents in short intervals. In the 2026 World Cup format, 48 national teams take part and the tournament has 104 matches, which further increases the logistical and competitive complexity.
Pochettino, according to a quote carried by The Guardian, said that he is convinced he selected the best group of 26 players to achieve success at the World Cup. He stressed that the decisions were difficult and thanked all players who were part of the process. That wording points to the fact that several footballers remained very close to the roster, but also that the coaching staff had to make the cut before the start of final preparations.
For the USA, the health and competitive readiness of the key players will be especially important. Adams is important for defensive stability in midfield, McKennie for intensity and late runs from deeper positions, and Pulisic for the final pass, entering the penalty area and finishing. In defence, Robinson, Richards, Ream and Dest will be expected to carry a large part of the burden against national teams that come with different styles of play.
Group D: Paraguay, Australia and Turkey as the first test
According to FIFA's Group D overview, the USA will open its campaign on June 12 against Paraguay in Inglewood, California. The second match will be played on June 19 against Australia in Seattle, and the group stage ends on June 25 against Turkey, again in Inglewood. The schedule gives the host the advantage of familiar conditions, but also imposes the obligation of entering the tournament quickly because the opener against Paraguay will be a key test of confidence and competitive control.
Paraguay brings South American toughness, experience of playing in the high intensity of CONMEBOL qualifiers and a tradition of defensively disciplined teams. FIFA recalls that the USA and Paraguay met as early as the first World Cup in 1930, when the American national team won 3:0, in a match connected with the first hat-trick in tournament history. Although that historical detail is interesting, for Pochettino's team it will be more important how to respond to today's generation of Paraguay and its ability to slow the match down.
Australia is the second round and probably a different type of challenge. The Socceroos have in recent years built a reputation as a team that relies on physical preparedness, organisation and the ability to compete in demanding matches against technically stronger opponents. According to FIFA's group profile, Australian head coach Tony Popovic was part of the generation that reached the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup, which further emphasises the continuity of that football culture.
Turkey closes the group and could be the most unpredictable opponent for the USA. FIFA states that Turkey is returning to the World Cup finals for the first time since 2002, when it finished third. It is a national team with strong individual talent and emotional charge, so the final group match may carry great weight if the standings are not settled in the first two rounds. For the USA, it would therefore be important to enter the final match with enough points to avoid the pressure of a match in which victory is necessary.
Home soil brings an advantage, but also raises expectations
The 2026 World Cup will be the first with 48 national teams and the first jointly organised by three countries. According to FIFA, the competition will be played in 16 host cities, and the expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 participants has also changed the competitive dynamic. More national teams get an opportunity, but favourites and hosts still must quickly find rhythm because in the expanded format early-stage mistakes can carry over into a tougher path through the knockout phase.
For the American national team, home soil means familiar stadiums, shorter adjustments to the environment and strong crowd support. At the same time, that very circumstance raises expectations. The USA had one of the youngest teams at the tournament in Qatar 2022 and advanced from the group, and part of that core is now entering a more mature phase of their careers. According to The Guardian, the 2026 roster includes 13 players with World Cup experience and 13 debutants, giving a balance between continuity and freshness.
That balance will be one of the main questions ahead of the start of the tournament. Pulisic, McKennie, Adams, Weah, Robinson and Richards already have experience in big matches, while players such as Freese, Brady, Freeman, Arfsten, Berhalter and Zendejas are entering a different national-team context. Pochettino will have to find a way for the experience of the key players not to stifle the energy of new names, but for those two layers of the team to complement each other.
The American federation announced that the national team will complete its final preparations at the National Training Center in Fayetteville, in the state of Georgia. According to U.S. Soccer and The Guardian, before the start of the tournament the USA will play friendly matches against Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte and Germany on June 6 in Chicago. After that the national team heads toward its base in California, where it will prepare for the opener against Paraguay.
A roster that opens key tactical questions
The final player selection suggests that Pochettino will seek a team capable of high intensity, aggressive pressing and quick transitions forward. That matches the profile of a large part of the American key players, especially Pulisic, Weah, Balogun, Pepi and Aaronson. Still, the question of midfield control will be equally important. The omissions of Tessmann, Morris and Luna leave a smaller number of classic midfield profiles, so Adams, McKennie, Reyna, Tillman, Roldan and Berhalter will have to carry a large part of the responsibility in organising play.
Gio Reyna is a particularly interesting case because he has long been considered one of the greatest creative talents in American soccer, but his national-team role depended on form, health and tactical use. Inclusion on the roster gives Pochettino an additional option between the lines, but at the same time requires a clear structure around him. If the USA has to break down closed defences, Reyna and Tillman could have a larger role than in matches in which quick exits through the wings are required.
In attack, the question of the hierarchy between Balogun and Pepi arises. Balogun brings movement behind the last line and experience from the French league, while Pepi has a pronounced sense for finishing and an already familiar national-team role. Haji Wright is a different profile, useful in matches in which more duels, back-to-goal play or attacks on crosses are required. Such variety in attacking options can be important in tournament football, where matches are often decided after substitutions.
Defence is the most numerous part of the roster and shows that Pochettino does not want to risk a lack of options in positions that are especially exposed to injuries, cards and tactical adjustments at major tournaments. The combination of Ream's experience, Richards's strength, Robinson's dynamism and Dest's technical quality gives the head coach several possible solutions. In addition, Scally, Trusty, McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Freeman and Arfsten offer depth that can be decisive if the schedule becomes demanding.
With the publication of the roster, the speculation phase has ended, but a period begins in which every Pochettino decision will be connected with the expectations of a home tournament. In the coming days, through matches against Senegal and Germany, the USA will get its final answers before the start of the World Cup. The real test arrives on June 12 in Inglewood, when the host opens the competition against Paraguay in a tournament that has special meaning for this generation of American soccer.
Sources:
- U.S. Soccer – official announcement of the public presentation of the USA national team roster in New York on May 26, 2026. (link)
- U.S. Soccer – official announcement that Mauricio Pochettino will announce the 26-player roster for the 2026 World Cup on May 26. (link)
- The Guardian – report from the announcement of the final USA roster, player names, omissions and the national team's preparation schedule. (link)
- FIFA – official overview of Group D of the 2026 World Cup, USA opponents and schedule context. (link)
- FIFA – official overview of the tournament, format, hosts and schedule of the 2026 World Cup. (link)