For the past eight years, hope and expectation in the United States have circled the home World Cup in 2026.
After the success of the 1994 World Cup in building a more stable environment for professional soccer, the belief was that 2026 could be “rocket fuel” for the sport — whatever that meant to whichever executive used the tag line.
The U.S. learned it would be a cohost just months after failing to qualify for a tournament for the first time since 1986. That disaster in Trinidad was devastating, but one that led to immediate change. Quickly, hope was rebuilt around a group of young players that many believed could be a golden generation for American men’s soccer.
That group was the second-youngest team at the World Cup in Qatar, where it emerged from its group before losing to the Netherlands in the knockout stage. In the aftermath of that loss, many realized that the development and maturation of those players from 2022 to 2026 would likely determine their legacy.
Now, with a star coach, Mauricio Pochettino, many of those same players — Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams among them — plus some fresh faces will take the field in 2026 looking to fulfill all of those expectations.
Here is a deeper look at Pochettino’s 26-man squad, one tasked with not just succeeding, but living up to the hype and continuing to build soccer in America. (Players are listed alphabetically by last name)
Goalkeepers
Chris Brady
Club: Chicago Fire
Age: 22
Caps: 0
World Cup experience: None
Brady has never played for the senior national team — he is the second uncapped player in the USMNT’s modern era (1990-present) to make a World Cup roster (GK Juergen Sommer, 1994) — but he was a standout at youth levels. Having established himself in MLS with Chicago, he became a regular in U.S. camps. He likely won’t see the field this summer, but he should get every opportunity to earn the starting job throughout the 2030 World Cup cycle.
Matt Freese
Club: New York City FC
Age: 27
Caps: 14
World Cup experience: None
Three years ago, Freese was an MLS backup. Now, he’s set to start for the U.S. at a home World Cup. He established himself as the team’s top goalkeeper throughout 2025, and will soon step into the biggest spotlight he’s ever encountered.
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A self-described “nerd” who played two years at Harvard, Freese took the long, slow road to the top of his profession. He spent his first few years out of college as a reserve in Philadelphia. A trade to NYCFC helped unlock his talent. His shot-stopping earned him a maiden national team call-up in January 2025, and just five months later, his heroics in a penalty shootout against Costa Rica earned him praise and trust. “Penalties,” he said afterward, “are my thing.”
A glance at the shots he has faced suggests he might be a little vulnerable on his left side, but his MLS record shows that shot-stopping is in line with expectation — with 18 goals conceded matching the quality of shots he has faced (Expected Goals on Target — xGOT).
He is not at the level of former U.S. keepers like Brad Friedel or Tim Howard. In fact, some would argue he’s not even a standout in MLS. But he’s the USMNT’s No. 1.
Matt Turner
Club: New England Revolution
Age: 31
Caps: 53
World Cup experience: 2022
Turner was the starting goalkeeper at the 2022 World Cup. But over the three years that followed, he struggled for playing time in England, lost some confidence and sharpness, and eventually lost his place as the U.S. No. 1.
At his best, he’s a super shot-stopper — long, lanky and athletic. But he hasn’t been at his best for a while now. It’s unclear if he’s still in contention for the starting job, or if he’s firmly behind Freese.
Defenders
Max Arfsten
Club: Columbus Crew
Age: 25
Caps: 18
World Cup experience: None
Arfsten has quite the story. While his now-U.S. teammates were starting pro careers or jumping to Europe as teens, he was playing high school soccer in Fresno, Calif. “Which is crazy,” Arfsten told The Athletic last fall, his mind blown by the contrast. “But everyone’s journey is different.”
He gradually rose through the American soccer ranks, from the University of California, Davis, to the San Jose Earthquakes reserves, and eventually to MLS in Columbus. After every step up, he’d tell himself: “I belong.” He did just that when he earned his first USMNT call last year. And he quickly earned Pochettino’s trust.
He is not a natural left back, and has been exposed defensively when asked to play there, but could be an option as a wingback off the bench this summer if the U.S. is chasing a game.
Sergiño Dest
Club: PSV Eindhoven
Age: 25
Caps: 37
World Cup experience: 2022
Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Surinamese-American father, Dest chose in 2019 to represent the U.S. and has been a key contributor ever since.
Nominally, he is a defender, but he’s better described as an enigmatic playmaker. He starts at fullback, but his unique strength is his ability to carry the ball from wide areas into dangerous ones and unbalance opponents. He can start on the right or the left, and will often look like a winger in possession.
His hamstring injury, suffered in March, seems to be behind him, and all stars seem aligned for Dest to seize the World Cup stage again this summer.
Alex Freeman
Club: Villarreal (Spain)
Age: 21
Caps: 15
World Cup experience: None
Maybe the breakout player in the U.S. pool under Pochettino, Freeman, the son of former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman, went from earning his first cap in June 2025 to potentially starting at a World Cup a year later. It’s an incredible rise.
He’s seen similar growth at the club level. The right back moved from the academy at Orlando City to its second team in 2022, then debuted with the MLS side in 2023 before his national team debut in 2025. He was transferred to Villarreal in Spain for $4 million in January 2026 and was able to make nine appearances with three starts over the last months of the La Liga season.
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Pochettino has used Freeman as both a right wingback and a right back who can slide into a central position or out to a more typical right back spot. His ability to get involved in the attack can unbalance opponents.
Mark McKenzie
Club: Toulouse (France)
Age: 27
Caps: 27
World Cup experience: None
One of the last cuts from the 2022 squad, the former Philadelphia Union homegrown player has found a way into the squad with his consistency at Toulouse. McKenzie moved to Belgium from MLS in 2021 and has spent the last five seasons in Europe. He started 56 of 59 games he’s played in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons and also started eight games under Pochettino.
McKenzie has good athleticism and can play on the right side of a back three or in a back two. He created 19 chances for Toulouse this season, an extremely high rate for his position, and he’s mostly solid defensively, though he is susceptible when defending in 1-on-1 situations.
He has the chance to start if Pochettino opts for three center backs on the field.
Tim Ream
Club: Charlotte FC
Age: 38
Caps: 80
World Cup experience: 2022
Ream is the USMNT’s elder statesman and captain. He’ll be the oldest player to ever appear for the U.S. at a men’s World Cup. And his national team story is a remarkable one.
After a decade as an intermittent-but-steady presence in defense, Ream was frozen out for an entire year in the buildup to the 2022 World Cup. He “made peace” with the apparent fact that he’d never reach soccer’s pinnacle. But a surprise call-up changed his career and his life. He started every match in Qatar, earned the nickname “Grandpa,” and then kept on earning his place over the coming months and years.
Now, on the verge of his second World Cup, at age 38, he has battled niggling injuries and struggled to keep up with youthful forwards. But he’s arguably the best ball-playing center back the U.S. has ever had, and is one of the best passers on this team.
USMNT center backs Tim Ream and Chris Richards will lead the U.S. defense this summer (Shaun Clark / ISI Photos / Getty Images)Chris Richards
Club: Crystal Palace
Age: 26
Caps: 36
World Cup experience: None
Richards is perhaps the USMNT’s most important player. A well-rounded center back who’s strong in the air and underrated with the ball, the Alabama native will anchor a U.S. defense that is otherwise fragile.
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He’ll also be fulfilling a dream that was ripped away from him four years earlier. Having ascended from the FC Dallas academy to Bayern Munich, then settled at Crystal Palace in England, he looked set to start for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup before a hamstring injury left him stuck at home, devastated.
Another ill-timed injury, this time an ankle sprain, has thrown his 2026 status into question, but multiple sources told The Athletic last week that Richards will be “good for the World Cup, 100%.”
Antonee Robinson
Club: Fulham
Age: 28
Caps: 52
World Cup experience: 2022
Robinson is a player who has become crucial to the success of this team. Tactics can shift in one direction or another depending on his fitness and availability. Robinson is an aggressive attacking fullback who can tilt the field in the U.S.’s favor. This summer, he will be among Pochettino’s most trusted players and an integral part of the manager’s gameday setup.
Robinson is expected to be both a stout 1-v-1 defender — he’s often matched up against the opposing team’s top winger — and a dangerous player on the flank going forward. After recovering from offseason knee surgery and complications that followed, Robinson is primed for a standout World Cup.
Miles Robinson
Club: FC Cincinnati
Age: 29
Caps: 38
World Cup experience: None
It will be a huge relief for Robinson to book a spot on this World Cup team after he was cruelly denied a chance to play in 2022 when he ruptured his Achilles tendon six months before the tournament. Robinson was in line to start in Qatar, and his injury helped open the door for Ream to come back into the team.
Drafted by Atlanta United with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, the Syracuse product has long been considered a top prospect because of his elite athleticism. That was hampered somewhat by the Achilles injury, but Robinson still boasts the speed and strength of a top defender, though he’s not always in the right spaces tactically and isn’t the most dependable on the ball.
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Joe Scally
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany)
Age: 23
Caps: 24
World Cup experience: 2022
Scally, a New York native, is valued for his versatility. He can play wingback, fullback or center back in a defensive three, and he can do all of it on either the right or left side of the field. He doesn’t have the on-ball skill or calmness to become a truly elite player, but he’s a buccaneering athlete. His physicality and 1-v-1 defending are the reasons he has already made 167 appearances for Mönchengladbach, the German club he joined as a teen.
He’ll now be looking for his first World Cup appearance. Although he made the 2022 team, he did not get game time in Qatar. It’s not entirely clear what his role will be in 2026.
Auston Trusty won the Scottish league title with Celtic (Ian MacNicol / Getty Images)Auston Trusty
Club: Celtic (Scotland)
Age: 27
Caps: 6
World Cup experience: None
A former Philadelphia Union homegrown player, Trusty was a starter for his hometown team in 2018 and 2019 before being traded to the Colorado Rapids. After two-plus seasons there, Trusty wanted a move to Europe and the Rapids’ partner club, Arsenal, both owned by Stan Kroenke, bought him and sent him on loan to Birmingham City. Trusty proved himself a reliable defender in the Championship with both Birmingham and Sheffield United before moving to Celtic for $7.8 million.
A left-footed center back with good size, he’s a physical presence that can win aerial duels and defend well. Coming off a dramatic Scottish domestic double with Celtic, he’s an option to start in a back three, or to step into the lineup if Ream falters.
Midfielders
Brenden Aaronson
Club: Leeds (England)
Age: 25
Caps: 57
World Cup experience: 2022
One of the more resilient players in the national team pool, Aaronson has risen to a Premier League starter despite a slight frame and unconventional strengths and profile. A Philadelphia Union homegrown player, Aaronson was developed in a high-pressing system of play that was perfect for his high-motor, high-capacity running style. His success as a No. 10 in MLS earned him a move to Red Bull Salzburg. Playing in a dominant team there, Aaronson had nine goals and nine assists across two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga before Leeds bought him to fit into its similar style of play.
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It was hardly a perfect start there. Aaronson struggled in the Premier League and was loaned to Union Berlin when Leeds was relegated. He returned to the team for the promotion push last season, and this year found a new level, starting 30 games in the Premier League and scoring four goals with five assists.
The U.S. will need him to do more than press and cause issues. He must show he can be goal dangerous at the highest international level.
Tyler Adams
Club: Bournemouth (England)
Age: 27
Caps: 52
World Cup experience: 2022
Like Robinson, Adams’ availability can dictate how well the U.S. plays on the day. In Qatar four years ago, Adams established himself as a bonafide leader, captaining the second-youngest team at the tournament. He was arguably the best U.S. player at that World Cup after four consistent performances in central midfield.
Adams is a tough tackler who can hunt the ball and mark an attacking player out of the game. He can cover space in midfield and organize his side with or without the ball. As a defensive midfielder, one of Adams’ most important roles is to limit the opposition’s capacity to play freely in the middle of the park.
There is no better evidence of that than looking at his player dashboard, as one of the most active midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to front-foot defending.
Sebastian Berhalter
Club: Vancouver Whitecaps
Age: 25
Caps: 11
World Cup experience: None
The son of former U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter, the Whitecaps midfielder has earned every bit of this World Cup roster spot. First loaned out and then traded from his homegrown team, the Columbus Crew, Berhalter worked his way into a starting role with Vancouver. He has since become an integral part of one of the best teams in MLS, pushing them to appearances in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup final and 2025 MLS Cup.
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Berhalter has 10 goals and 19 assists over the past season and a half in Vancouver, and he stepped into a starting role under Pochettino at last summer’s Gold Cup and earned the manager’s trust with his attitude and work ethic. A tireless runner who is unafraid to mix it up, Berhalter brings value to the team beyond what happens in games. He’ll be counted on to keep the level high within the group with his mentality. He also adds value with fantastic set-piece delivery.
Weston McKennie
Club: Juventus (Italy)
Age: 27
Caps: 64
World Cup experience: 2022
McKennie, all things considered, had the best 2025-26 season of any American man in global soccer. He made himself indispensable at Juventus in Italy, whether as a wingback or a free-roaming attacker. Year after year, Juve coaches or executives have tried to marginalize him; and year after year, in a variety of different positions, he’s proven he belongs. “He has all the qualities to do well anywhere,” his current Juve coach, Luciano Spalletti, raved.
A look through The Athletic’s season-level player dashboard highlights just how many positions he has occupied across the pitch.
For the U.S., he has largely played as an attacking midfielder. A lack of depth at the base of midfield might pull him back into a deeper role, but whatever the ask, McKennie will be capable. He met the moment at the 2022 World Cup, when he bossed England and helped create the USMNT’s decisive goal against Iran. He’ll be one of the team’s most influential players this summer.
Gio Reyna
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany)
Age: 23
Caps: 36
World Cup experience: 2022
The son of USMNT legend Claudio Reyna, the attacking midfielder was once thought to be on track to become a bigger U.S. star than Pulisic. It hasn’t quite worked out that way. After wonderful early returns as a teenager at Borussia Dortmund, injury, controversy and fitness issues have hampered that idealized trajectory.
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For the broader audience, Reyna is known mostly for his actions at the 2022 World Cup (and his parents involvement after), and his struggles to get on the field at the club level have left little else to talk about. While he’s had some bright moments — most notably in the Concacaf Nations League — Reyna will consider himself fortunate to be included on Pochettino’s roster. The Argentine has called him “a special situation” who warrants an exception to what the coach insisted would be a merit-based process in which reputation would not supersede form.
If he can conjure the talent he displayed as a 17- and 18-year-old, it’ll reward Pochettino for the risk, but whether he has the legs to perform at the highest level will be tested.
Cristian Roldan
Club: Seattle Sounders
Age: 30
Caps: 45
World Cup experience: 2022
The ultimate glue guy, Roldan is one of the most respected veterans in the U.S. locker room. He was part of the 2022 team in a similar role, becoming a mentor and friend to some of the team’s biggest stars, including Pulisic and chMcKennie.
A stalwart for a Sounders team that has been one of the most successful in North American during his time with the club, Roldan was called the “perfect player” by Pochettino last fall. His steadiness in midfield could make him one of the surprise players at the World Cup for the U.S. if he is able to get on the field — which he did not do in Qatar.
Roldan, who turns 31 on June 3, can play in either central midfield role and, as he showed last fall against Australia with two assists in a 2-1 win, he’s more than capable of impacting the game in a bigger way.
Malik Tillman
Club: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Age: 23
Caps: 28
World Cup experience: None
The son of an American serviceman and German mother, Tillman was born and raised in Germany and played for the youth national teams of both countries before committing to play for the U.S. senior team in May 2022. A former Bayern Munich prospect, Tillman missed out on the Qatar World Cup, but has developed nicely as an attacking option with stops at Rangers and PSV before moving to Leverkusen for $41 million last summer.
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Tillman, who turns 24 on May 28, has found most of his national team success under Pochettino, breaking out in a starring role at the 2025 Gold Cup. A creative midfielder with a quiet personality, Tillman is at his best combining in and around the 18-yard box. He had six goals in the Bundesliga during an up-and-down season in which he started just twice in the final three months.
Tim Weah offers a ton of versatility to Mauricio Pochettino as he mulls his tactical approach (John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)Tim Weah
Club: Olympique de Marseille
Age: 26
Caps: 49
World Cup experience: 2022
The son of 1995 Ballon d’Or winner and Liberian great (and former president) George Weah, Tim was born and raised in Brooklyn. A winger with an ability to stretch the field vertically with pace and who is happy to cede the spotlight to others despite his famous last name, Weah scored the opening goal of the 2022 World Cup for the U.S. in its 1-1 draw with Wales.
He has become one of the most consistent and trusted performers for the national team. Weah played at PSG, Celtic, Lille and Juventus before moving back to Ligue 1 with Marseille. He can play as a winger or wingback on either side of the field, and can also play as a No. 9, though he had just two goals and two assists in France this season.
Don’t be surprised to see Weah slot in as a wingback rather than a winger in Pochettino’s system.
Alejandro Zendejas
Club: Club América
Age: 28
Caps: 13
World Cup experience: None
Born in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, before moving to the U.S. at a young age, Zendejas came up through the FC Dallas academy and made his professional debut in 2015 in MLS. He was quickly sold to Chivas Guadalajara, where the under-17 national team teammate of Pulisic, Adams and others had to reject all future call-ups from the U.S. team in order to fulfill Chivas’ tradition of using only Mexican players.
Zendejas moved to Necaxa and then Club América in 2022, and after nearly being named to Mexico’s World Cup team — and illegally appearing for them without filing a one-time switch — he got back into the picture with the U.S. team. A quick winger who can create goals for himself and others, Zendejas has been one of América’s best players over the past four seasons, with 31 goals and 25 assists in league play, though that hasn’t always translated to U.S. call-ups
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One of the most in-form players on the team, Zendejas will add a different, more dynamic look for the U.S. — evidenced by his September goal against Japan that helped turn the tide for a team in turmoil.
Forwards
Folarin Balogun
Club: AS Monaco
Age: 24
Caps: 25
World Cup experience: None
Balogun was U.S. Soccer’s blue-chip recruit of the 2026 World Cup cycle. A Brooklyn-born forward, he spent nearly his entire childhood in England, but in 2023 chose to represent the USMNT. And in doing so, he instantly lifted the team’s ceiling.
He’s the starting striker less because he’s lethal in front of goal, more because he knows how to get in front of goal. He runs off the shoulders of defenders. He sniffs out space in the penalty box. His movement “helps us massively,” Ream said last year. He enters the World Cup having scored 11 goals in his last 14 games for Monaco in France, and could introduce himself as a star to America this summer.
Ricardo Pepi
Club: PSV Eindhoven
Age: 23
Caps: 35
World Cup experience: None
At 19, Pepi was perhaps the most controversial omission from the 2022 World Cup squad. He was in form, scoring goals and had chosen to represent the U.S. over Mexico. Pepi was stunned and disappointed by the decision. Four years later, he’ll get his chance as a back-up striker under Pochettino.
Pepi has been a consistently reliable center forward in the Dutch Eredivisie. He scored 16 goals in 26 matches during the 2025-2026 season. The 6-foot-1 El Paso, Texas, native is a box-dwelling striker with good instincts and effective movement inside the opponent’s penalty area.
Christian Pulisic
Club: AC Milan
Age: 27
Caps: 84
World Cup experience: 2022
Pulisic has been the face of the USMNT ever since he was a teen. He burst onto the scene at age 17, wore the captain’s armband at 20, and blazed trails for American players in Europe with his club exploits at Borussia Dortmund in Germany, Chelsea in England and AC Milan in Italy.
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He can play on either wing or through the middle, threatening defenders with his quickness and dribbling. Midway through this past season for Milan, he was surging toward a career year and looked like one of the very best players in Serie A. But he has not scored a single goal since calendars flipped to 2026.
He hasn’t scored for the national team since November 2024. He has looked frustrated as he skids toward the World Cup, which could be a legacy-defining moment for a player often talked about as the biggest American men’s soccer star ever.
Haji Wright
Club: Coventry City
Age: 28
Caps: 20
World Cup experience: 2022
A bit of a surprise on the roster in 2022 after finding his goal-scoring form in the lead-up to the tournament, Wright then became a goalscorer for the U.S. in the knockout stage against the Netherlands — albeit on a bit of a lucky touch. He has continued his goalscoring form since returning from Qatar. Wright has found double-digit goals for Coventry in every season in the Championship over the past three campaigns, including 18 goals in all competitions this season for a team that earned promotion by finishing first in the table with a dominant 95 points.
The Los Angeles native is a far different profile at 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, and he can come off the bench and bring a different look — especially after the Achilles injury for Patrick Agyemang. Wright is not a traditional target striker, though, and is as comfortable playing off the wing as he is up top.