USMNT World Cup roster: Four thoughts as Pochettino names 26-man USA squad

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAY Tue, May 26, 2026 at 7:56 PM UTC

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The U.S. men's national team World Cup roster is out — for real this time.

Three days after the team's squad was fully leaked, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino officially revealed his 26-man roster for the 2026 tournament on Tuesday, May 26.

The release confirmed the leak was, in fact, accurate, as the 26 names matched the 26 The Guardian first reported over the weekend.

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The names didn't feature too many surprises, though there were still one or two decisions that could be characterized as head-scratching.

"We are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup,” Pochettino said.

“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.”

Here are four takeaways from the USMNT's 2026 World Cup roster:

USMNT central midfield looking thin

Leaving Aidan Morris of Middlesbrough off the roster wouldn't have been too eye-opening had everyone been healthy. But with Tanner Tessmann of Lyon and Johnny Cardoso of Atlético Madrid both off the team? That's a different story.

Pochettino named just four recognized central midfielders to his roster: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Cristian Roldan and Weston McKennie. Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna are more comfortable playing further upfield as a No. 10, but both can shift backward if needed.

Still, Pochettino's decision raises some real questions in central midfield, where he has been playing with a double pivot. If McKennie and Adams are the choice, it could rob McKennie of the ability to roam that makes him so effective.

Is Pochettino ready to start either Berhalter or Roldan? Both excel in MLS but it would be a big step up for either player.

The coach could also be set to change his midfield shape. In any case, the U.S. is one central midfield injury away (particularly to Adams) from an extremely dicey situation.

Gio Reyna's potential beats Diego Luna's grit

It seems that Pochettino had room for either Gio Reyna or Diego Luna, but not both. He chose Reyna, a player with a higher ceiling who continues to underwhelm at the club level.

Reyna has the talent to be a superstar, but his club output over the past five years has been that of a benchwarmer.

However, the 23-year-old has managed to raise his game with the USMNT over the past few years. His ability made Pochettino admit he needed to deviate from his usual policy of calling players who excel at their clubs.

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That left no room for Luna, who has become a valuable cog under Pochettino for his grit on both sides of the ball. But his production with the USMNT has been mixed.

Missing the World Cup is harsh on Luna, who played in 17 of the USMNT's 18 games last year. But for Pochettino, Reyna was too talented to ignore.

A glut of defenders for USMNT roster

Basically every defensive player on the roster bubble is in, with mainstays Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest joined by bubble players Auston Trusty and Joe Scally.

Pochettino bringing 10 defensive players lends credence to the idea that he will continue with a five-man backline that includes three center backs and two wingbacks.

It also shows that amid a group full of question marks, Pochettino may be hedging his bets by bringing as many options as possible.

The only rock-solid central defensive option is Richards, who is currently attempting to recover from torn ankle ligaments after an injury in Crystal Palace's penultimate game of the English Premier League season. His status for Wednesday's match in the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano is uncertain. Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson all bring question marks of their own based on recent performances for club and country.

Dest and Robinson are strong options at wingback, but Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman and Joe Scally can also play the position. Freeman and Scally are also candidates for the right center-back role.

The USMNT defense doesn't inspire confidence, but Pochettino will at least have some options.

Young guns will wait until 2030 World Cup

The start of the MLS season has seen the rapid emergence of three teenagers who have starred for the U.S. at youth levels.

Zavier Gozo, Julian Hall and Adri Mehmedi have all taken their game to the next level in 2026, leading to calls for all three to be handed a maiden USMNT call-up for the World Cup.

Of those three, Gozo may have been the closest to actually making the squad but in the end, none of the trio received the call.

The same goes for on-again, off-again defender Noahkai Banks, who turned down a call-up in March as he wrestled with his international future. The 19-year-old still hasn't chosen between the U.S. and Germany, but he won't be at the World Cup for either country.

2026 USMNT World Cup roster (club; caps/goals)

Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), 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 (6): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps; 11/1), Weston McKennie (Juventus; 64/12), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach; 36/9), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 45/0), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen; 28/3)

Forwards (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; 57/9), Folarin Balogun (Monaco; 25/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV; 35/13), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan; 84/32), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille; 49/7), Haji Wright (Coventry City; 20/7), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América; 13/2)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USMNT 2026 World Cup roster analysis: Pochettino names full USA squad

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