Sports

Meet the 26 Players Who Will Star for the USMNT at 2026 World Cup

By Sophia Vesely Sports Illustrated

Updated May 26, 2026 8:08 PM

U.S. national team manager Mauricio Pochettino announced his official 2026 World Cup roster on Tuesday, tapping the 26 Americans tasked with bringing global glory to home supporters across the nation this summer.

Any opportunity to represent one's country on soccer's most prestigious stage is rare and deeply coveted; however, to do so on home soil is something even fewer players ever get to experience. Therefore, these 26 men get the dream of a lifetime, as the 2026 edition of the tournament will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The USMNT will exclusively play in the U.S. this summer.

Pochettino, a manager with a legendary résumé that includes leading the likes of European powerhouses Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, is determined to give the U.S. a historic run, even citing a potential semifinal finish.

The Stars and Stripes have only advanced as far as the quarterfinals in the modern era of the World Cup; however, in his effort to rewrite history, Pochettino has left no stone unturned in search of the best group of U.S. players. Since taking over at the helm in Sept. 2024, he has welcomed roughly 80 players to international camps and seen even more on scouting trips. There is no doubt that his final selection was one meticulously curated.

Here, Sports Illustrated breaks down the 26 players hand-picked for glory

Goalkeepers

Chris Brady

Club: Chicago Fire (U.S. Major League Soccer)
Age: 22 years old
Hometown: Naperville, Ill.
USMNT Caps: 0
Clean Sheets: 0
Wins: 0
Likelihood of Starting: 0.5/10

Still yet to make his debut, Brady has been called up to multiple camps as well as the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Pochettino may be giving the young goalkeeper just the experience he needs to one day be the main starter for the Stars and Stripes.

Matt Freese

Club: New York City FC (MLS)
Age: 27 years old
Hometown: Wayne, Pa.
USMNT Caps: 14
Clean Sheets: 3
Wins: 8
Likelihood of Starting: 6/10

Freese had a unlikely and rapid rise to stardom, debuting for the U.S. only last June before usurping the starting role from Matt Turner and impressing in the run to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final. Oh, and only five years ago, Freese was studying economics at Harvard and playing soccer on the side.

Matt Turner

Club: New England Revolution (MLS)
Age: 31 years old
Hometown: Park Ridge, N.J.
USMNT Caps: 53
Clean Sheets: 27
Wins: 29
Likelihood of Starting: 3.5/10

By far the U.S. goalkeeper with the most experience, Turner was a key starter at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After a year on the bench, he earned a starting opportunity against Belgium in March's international friendly and should expect some minutes this summer.

Defenders

Max Arfsten

Club: Columbus Crew (MLS)
Age: 25 years old
Hometown: Fresno, Calif.
USMNT Caps: 18
Goals: 1
Assists: 5
Likelihood of Starting: 3/10

Arfsten is known for his tactical versatility and ability to seamlessly transition from defensive to attacking duties, playing not only as a traditional fullback, but also as a wing-back or traditional winger. He is also a goalscorer, most recently netting Columbus's game-winner in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.

Sergiño Dest

Club: PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands Eredivisie)
Age: 25 years old
Hometown: Almere, Netherlands
USMNT Caps: 37
Goals: 2
Assists: 6
Likelihood of Starting: 8/10

Pochettino and the entire U.S. Soccer community breathed a sigh of relief when the stalwart right back returned to action last month after eight weeks out with a hamstring injury. Dest is quickly regaining full fitness and returned to Eindhoven's starting lineup before the season ended.

Alex Freeman

Club: Villarreal CF (Spanish La Liga)
Age: 21 years old
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
USMNT Caps: 15
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Likelihood of Starting: 4/10

Similar to Freese, the right back first debuted for the national team last June before playing an integral role in the Gold Cup. Freeman's inclusion in a back three could give the backline an important attack-mindedness given his tendency for off-the-ball runs.

Mark McKenzie

Club: Toulouse FC (French Ligue 1)
Age: 27 years old
Hometown: Bear, Del.
USMNT Caps: 27
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Likelihood of Starting: 5/10

McKenzie provides a big and strong force at the center back position and had a solid outing with Toulouse this season, starting 28 matches in Ligue 1 play, primarily as the right center back in a back-three formation.

Tim Ream

Club: Charlotte FC (MLS)
Age: 38 years old
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
USMNT Caps: 80
Goals: 1
Assists: 4
Likelihood of Starting: 7/10

The 38-year-old center back brings the most veteran leadership of the group; however, his age, at times, catches up to him, when facing young, agile forwards that easily thread him.

Chris Richards

Club: Crystal Palace (English Premier League)
Age: 26 years old
Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.
USMNT Caps: 36
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
Likelihood of Starting: 9/10

Due to his composure on the ball and aerial capabilities, Richards will undoubtedly be the most valuable component of the U.S.'s backline, provided he has a clean bill of health. The center back suffered an ankle injury last week, and there is still no update on his readiness.

Antonee Robinson

Club: Fulham (Premier League)
Age: 28 years old
Hometown: Liverpool, England
USMNT Caps: 52
Goals: 4
Assists: 9
Likelihood of Starting: 7/10

"Jedi," a childhood nickname for his love of Star Wars and now reflective of his heroic capabilities on the pitch, has become a constant force at the left back position. He reached a significant milestone in his career last week when he scored his first Premier League goal, netting a penalty for Fulham against the Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Miles Robinson

Club: FC Cincinnati (MLS)
Age: 29 years old
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
USMNT Caps: 38
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
Likelihood of Starting: 2/10

The center back made his senior debut in 2019, but missed the 2022 World Cup due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Injuries have continued to plague him, causing him to miss the most recent March international window due to groin pain.

Joe Scally

Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach (German Bundesliga)
Age: 23 years old
Hometown: Lake Grove, N.Y.
USMNT Caps: 24
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Likelihood of Starting: 3/10

Scally was a consistent starter for Die Fohlen this season at fullback and wing-back, unlike fellow American Gio Reyna, who struggled to earn minutes.

Auston Trusty

Club: Celtic FC (Scottish Premiership)
Age: 27 years old
Hometown: Media, Pa.
USMNT Caps: 6
Goals: 0
Assists: 2
Likelihood of Starting: 3/10

The center back most recently led club side Celtic FC to a massive comeback in the Scottish Premiership, hoisting the domestic league trophy last week after a 3–1 win over Hearts.

Defensive/Central Midfielders

Tyler Adams

Club: AFC Bournemouth (Premier League)
Age: 27 years old
Hometown: Wappingers Falls, N.Y.
USMNT Caps: 52
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Likelihood of Starting: 8/10

Pochettino will rely heavily on Adams in the defensive midfield position, especially as the Argentine boss is light on midfield options. Adams was exceptional this season for Bournemouth, a stalwart in the Cherries' midfield. He clocked 90 minutes in the crucial 1–1 draw against Manchester City that earned Arsenal their first Premier League title in 22 years.

Sebastian Berhalter

Club: Vancouver Whitecaps(MLS)
Age: 25 years old
Hometown: London, England
USMNT Caps: 11
Goals: 1
Assists: 3
Likelihood of Starting: 4/10

Berhalter, son of former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, has been on fire this season in MLS. Across 14 league games, the central midfielder has made 13 starts for Vancouver and notched six goals and seven assists.

Weston McKennie

Club: Juventus (Italian Serie A)
Age: 27 years old
Hometown: Little Elm, Tx.
USMNT Caps: 64
Goals: 12
Assists: 7
Likelihood of Starting: 9.5/10

McKennie, widely regarded as a "Swiss army knife" for his tactical versatility, has played 10 positions on the field this season for club side Juventus and will be similarly spread around by Pochettino this summer. Predominately a central midfielder, though, McKennie had a career-best season, scoring five goals and adding five assists in Serie A play to set him up beautifully for second-career World Cup.

Cristian Roldan

Club: Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Age: 30 years old
Hometown: Pico Rivera, Calif.
USMNT Caps: 45
Goals: 0
Assists: 5
Likelihood of Starting: 2/10

The central midfielder has had somewhat of a down season with the Sounders thus far, but the veteran leadership and morale boost he brings to the USMNT is non-negotiable.

Attacking Midfielders/Wingers

Brenden Aaronson

Club: Leeds United (Premier League)
Age: 25 years old
Hometown: Medford, N.J.
USMNT Caps: 57
Goals: 9
Assists: 7
Likelihood of Starting: 5/10

Aaronson is both a strong attacking midfield option and a winger option. He was a consistent starter for Leeds this season, tallying four goals and five assists in league play.

Christian Pulisic

Club: AC Milan (Serie A)
Age: 27 years old
Hometown: Hershey, Pa.
USMNT Caps: 84
Goals: 32
Assists: 19
Likelihood of Starting: 9/10

No matter what form he is in, Pulisic will always be the face and star of the USMNT. "Captain America," denoted for his heroics as an American in European soccer, is coming off a career-worst season. The attacker has not found the back of the net for his club in 19 matches, dating back to 2025. He hasn't scored for the U.S. since 2024. He is confident a resurgence is imminent, though.

Gio Reyna

Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach (Bundesliga)
Age: 23 years old
Hometown: Bedford, N.Y.
USMNT Caps: 36
Goals: 9
Assists: 6
Likelihood of Starting: 4/10

The attacking midfielder was a controversial choice by Pochettino, given Reyna has hardly featured for his Bundesliga club, relegated to a bench role. Since the turn of the calendar, he has featured at most 32 minutes in any given match. Nevertheless, Pochettino has expressed that club form has nothing to do with international form.

Malik Tillman

Club: Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
Age: 23 years old
Hometown: Furth, Germany
USMNT Caps: 28
Goals: 3
Assists: 4
Likelihood of Starting: 7/10

Tillman is versatile and skillful as both an attacking central midfielder and as a winger. Pochettino has relied upon him heavily in his starting lineups over the past few international windows.

Tim Weah

Club: Olympique de Marseille (Ligue 1)
Age: 26 years old
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
USMNT Caps: 49
Goals: 7
Assists: 5
Likelihood of Starting: 5/10

Weah is a highly reliable winger, known for his explosive and dynamic movements up the flank, but can also feature as a wing-back or fullback, if Pochettino seeks a formation that is more attack-minded.

Alejandro Zendejas

Club: Club América (Mexico's Liga MX)
Age: 28 years old
Hometown: El Paso, Tx.
USMNT Caps: 13
Goals: 2
Assists: 1
Likelihood of Starting: 1/10

Zendejas may have been Pochettino's most surprising selection. The winger has not featured for the Stars and Stripes since September; however, he did score a goal for the U.S. in the 2–0 win over Japan.

Strikers

Folarin Balogun

Club: AS Monaco (Ligue 1)
Age: 24 years old
Hometown: London, England
USMNT Caps: 25
Goals: 8
Assists: 4
Likelihood of Starting: 6/10

Balogun has been on fire this season, eager to edge ahead in the highly-competitive striker race. The 24-year-old has 19 goals and five assists in 43 games across Ligue 1, Coupe de France and the Champions League, proving himself as one of the best young attackers in all of Europe.

Ricardo Pepi

Club: PSV Eindhoven(Eredivisie)
Age: 23 years old
Hometown: El Paso, Tx.
USMNT Caps: 35
Goals: 13
Assists: 4
Likelihood of Starting: 2/10

If not for Balogun's remarkable play this season, Pepi would be a fantastic starting choice. He netted a whopping 19 goals and two assists across all competitions this season.

Haji Wright

Club: Coventry City (English Championship)
Age: 28 years old
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
USMNT Caps: 20
Goals: 7
Assists: 0
Likelihood of Starting: 2/10

Wright was dominant for Coventry City this season, scoring 17 times to boost his side to the Premier League for the first time since 2000–01. There is no doubt Pochettino will call upon his expertise at some point this summer.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Meet the 26 Players Who Will Star for the USMNT at 2026 World Cup.

This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM.