USMNT snubs? Tanner Tessmann, Diego Luna among notable names left off official U.S. 2026 World Cup roster
USMNT snubs? Tanner Tessmann, Diego Luna among notable names left off official U.S. 2026 World Cup roster
Sean LeahyTue, May 26, 2026 at 7:51 PM UTC
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The United States men’s World Cup roster was officially announced on Tuesday during an event in New York City. Days after the 26-man list was leaked to several media outlets, manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the group that will be taking part in this summer’s tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
There were several surprise absences in Pochettino’s final list, including midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Diego Luna.
Tessmann, who plays for Lyon in France, suffered a muscle strain earlier this month, but the injury was not expected to affect his status for the World Cup. His stock seemed to rise after the news that Johnny Cardoso would miss the tournament after suffering an ankle injury.
The absence of the 24-year-old Tessmann, who played in each of the USA’s last six matches, leaves Pochettino’s squad down to Tyler Adams as its only defensive midfielder.
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Luna, meanwhile, had become a fan favorite for the energy he brought into the matches and the toughness he showed, especially following a broken nose during a January 2025 match against Costa Rica.
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The Real Salt Lake star has made 18 appearances for the U.S. with 17 of them coming under Pochettino. Luna’s absence during the March international window was due to a knee injury, but he has since played seven times for RSL and at least 70 minutes in six of them.
Real Salt Lake's Diego Luna didn't make the cut for the 2026 World Cup despite featuring heavily for Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT squad throughout the build up to the tournament. (Eston Parker/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Luna’s RSL teammate, 19-year-old Zavier Gozo, played his way into the conversation of many USMNT fans in the build up to the roster announcement. With six goals and 11 goal contributions through 14 matches, Gozo may have fallen short for 2026, but he will certainly be in the mix over the next several years in the build up to the 2030 World Cup.
Aidan Morris was on the roster bubble and considering the lack of depth in midfield, it seemed as if the Middlesbrough man had a good at making the final 26. Despite a successful season in the English Championship and reaching the EFL Playoff Final and being called into the past three U.S. camps by Pochettino, there was no room for him.
After playing impactful minutes during the 2022 World Cup, Yunus Musah has fallen off the USMNT map. The Atalanta midfielder, who was U.S. Soccer's Young Male Player of the Year in 2022, played sparingly for the Serie A side this season.
Josh Sargent started two games at the 2022 World Cup, but the depth at striker within the U.S. roster pool has deepened. Folarin Bolgun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright made the final roster. His inconsistent goal scoring record at Norwich City and now Toronto FC hurt his chances to scratch out a place among Pochettino’s attackers.
Final rosters for the World Cup must be submitted by June 1, which means substitutions can still occur.
The USMNT will play two friendlies before their June 12 World Cup opener against Paraguay. On Sunday, they will take on Senegal in Charlotte before their send-off match against Germany on June 6 against Germany in Chicago.
Source: “AOL Sports”
