Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT World Cup squad is officially revealed

· Yahoo Sports

NEW YORK — For 19 months, eight training camps and 24 matches, Mauricio Pochettino evaluated more than 60 candidates and, with a series of stops and starts, molded a U.S. national soccer team that he believes is ready to excel at a World Cup on home ground.

On Tuesday, amid a fan-charged party on a sun-splashed pier 17 days before the opener out west, the Argentine-born coach culminated the curation phase with the unveiling of his 26-man roster.

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The announcement in lower Manhattan came with pomp and circumstance but no drama after the list was leaked over the weekend.

The squad is stocked with Euro-seasoned players, moored by 13 incumbents from the 2022 campaign and enhanced by 13 first-timers. It features a mix of players well-known to the general public (Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams) and those requiring introductions (Matt Freese, Folarin Balogun and Sebastian Berhalter).

It includes eight players who started all four World Cup matches in 2022, 13 from clubs in Europe’s five biggest leagues and eight from Major League Soccer (the fewest since 2010, when four were selected).

"We are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup,” Pochettino said in a prepared statement. “These were very difficult decisions, and we are thankful to all the players who were part of this journey. This group is very focused and ready to give everything they have to represent the United States and deliver performances that will make the fans and the country proud.” 

Later Tuesday, Pochettino was scheduled to answer questions from reporters about roster selections and the World Cup outlook.

The only rostered player to miss the less-than-packed event was center back Chris Richards, who is in Leipzig, Germany, with Crystal Palace for the UEFA Conference League final Wednesday vs. Spain’s Rayo Vallecano. Richards’ ankle injury, suffered in the penultimate Premier League match, will be closely monitored by the U.S. staff upon arriving stateside this week.

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The deadline to submit rosters to FIFA is June 1. After that, teams are permitted to replace injured players until 24 hours before their opening match.

The Americans will open camp Wednesday at the new national training center outside Atlanta. They will play tuneups against Senegal on Sunday in Charlotte and Germany on June 6 in Chicago before moving into base camp in Irvine, California, ahead of its Group D debut vs. Paraguay on June 12 in greater Los Angeles.

Given Pochettino’s pattern of camp invitations the past nine months, almost all his picks were expected. Mexican-based Alex Zendejas, who made the cut despite missing the past three camps, was a mild surprise.

The absence of midfielders Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Diego Luna did create some stir — particularly Tessmann, who started the first match in each of the past three two-game international windows and could’ve provided cover this summer on the unsettled backline.

Both he and Luna, though, have battled injuries this spring. Luna was among Pochettino’s most-used players in 2025, but with almost all attackers available for selection this summer, he slipped on the depth chart. Morris enjoyed a standout season with Middlesbrough, which fell one win short of Premier League promotion.

Without Tessmann and Morris, as well as the injured Johnny Cardoso, Pochettino lacks depth behind Adams in defensive midfield. The only other pure back-up is Cristian Roldan, an 11-year MLS veteran whose leadership traits outweigh his international credentials.

Those decisions suggest Pochettino might start one defensive midfielder instead of two — as he’s done much of his tenure — and rely, when necessary, on Roldan and other central midfielders to provide help.

Aside from those defensive midfield options, the roster includes several players adept at multiple positions, including McKennie, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson and Alex Freeman.

The roster’s average age is 26 years and 11 months, about a year older than the 2022 squad. Assuming he plays, 38-year-old center back Tim Ream will become the oldest U.S. World Cup player, topping Fernando Clavijo (37 in 1994).

Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago), Matt Freese (New York City), Matt Turner (New England).

Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse). Tim Ream (Charlotte), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic).

Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).

Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille), Haji Wright (Coventry City), Alex Zendejas (Club America).

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