'Ready to give everything' - USMNT confirm 26-player WC squad

Poch, Pulisic and Richards GFX

U.S. Men's National Team boss Mauricio Pochettino has officially confirmed his 26-player squad for the World Cup as U.S. Soccer announced the final roster in New York on Tuesday. The squad features many of the usual heavy-hitters in players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams, while Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, and Aidan Morris were among the notable exclusions from the final team.

Christian Pulisic, USMNT

The roster revealed

The USMNT's squad was reported on heavily over the weekend, with the entire squad revealed by the Guardian on Saturday. Those reports ended up being spot on as Pochettino made it all official on Tuesday in New York. In total, the squad features 13 returning players from the 2022 tournament, including eight players who started all four games. That also means 13 players will be heading to the World Cup for the very first time.

It's worth noting, though, that the roster won't be officially locked in until it is submitted to FIFA, which has set a deadline of June 1 for teams to finalize their squads. Once that list is submitted, players can be replaced up until 24 hours before the USMNT's group stage opener.

Weston McKennie USMNT Belgium 2026

The squad in full

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

Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergino Dest (PSV), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Monchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alejandro Zendejas (Club America)

Forwards: Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV), Haji Wright (Coventry City)

United States v Portugal - International Friendly

What Pochettino said

"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.” 

United States v Portugal - International Friendly

Stats behind the squad

In total, Pochettino has worked with 61 players since taking over in the fall of 2024. Ultimately, though, only 26 could make the cut. There were several notable exclusions, namely Luna, Tessmann and Morris, while dual-national Noahkai Banks, who dropped out of the March squad to mull over his international future, also misses out. Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall were among those to make a late push in MLS, but neither got the call.

Of those that did, 21 have previously won silverware in a USMNT shirt, be it the CONCACAF Nations League or Gold Cup. The squad features an average age of just under 27 years old, making it the fifth-youngest team the U.S. has sent to a World Cup. Seven of the 26, meanwhile, debuted for the USMNT during this cycle, with the most recent being Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman and Matt Freese, who all earned their first caps in the friendlies ahead of last year's Gold Cup.

Tyler Adams USMNT vs Turkey

What comes next?

Following Tuesday's announcement, players will convene in Atlanta for pre-tournament preparation. That includes two friendlies, one against Senegal and one against Germany, before the World Cup kicks off June 12 against Paraguay.