The United States men’s national team’s 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup has been officially revealed by U.S. Soccer. And while several outlets leaked Mauricio Pochettino’s list on Saturday, that didn’t dampen Tuesday’s made-for-TV event on The Rooftop at Pier 17.
Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, and Tim Weah, all part of the U.S. roster in 2022’s World Cup, were among the locks to be on it again in 2026. But half of the squad — 13 players — weren’t part of Gregg Berhalter’s group in Qatar. That includes former Atlanta United defender Miles Robinson, who ruptured his Achilles just six months before the 2022 tournament, and Chris Richards, whose hamstring injury in August 2022 while with Hoffenheim kept him off Berhalter’s squad.
Other newcomers on the list are intriguing, specifically the Columbus Crew’s Max Arfsten and the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Sebastian Berhalter. Arfsten was in doubt for the roster before a strong run of form with the Crew propelled him into his first World Cup. Berhalter’s last name will naturally draw attention, but he emerged as one of the best midfielders in MLS in 2025 and has continued that trend in 2026. That said, they’ll need to show they belong on soccer’s biggest stage if called upon.
“We are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup,” Pochettino said in a statement. “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.”
Watch our USMNT World Cup roster reaction show, live Tuesday, May 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET on YouTube.
The big discussion, though, will surround a couple of players.
The first is Gio Reyna, who made the squad despite a disappointing run of form at the club level. On his day, he is a terrific talent but hasn’t consistently shown it on the pitch. There are also the off-field concerns that have plagued him for years. One has to imagine that this is the final opportunity for the 23-year-old to show whether he will be a USMNT mainstay for years to come, or simply a footnote in the program’s history.
The other is Tanner Tessmann. The 24-year-old Alabama native and former FC Dallas Academy player was a standout for Lyon in the 2025-26 season, but it wasn’t enough for him to get himself into the World Cup picture. As Matt Doyle and others have noted, though, it’s left the U.S. in a precarious position at defensive midfield as only Tyler Adams and Cristian Roldan can fill that role.
Then there’s Christian Pulisic, who has been underwhelming for both club and country over the past several months. He was always going to make the roster, though, and I don’t doubt that he’ll be ready to go when the lights come on. But as the face of this program, “good” simply won’t be good enough in a World Cup on U.S. soil.
One other player that I thought would get a shot but ultimately didn’t was Diego Luna. The RSL man was held back by an injury early in the MLS season but has come along well, recording 4g/3a in nine matches. If the USMNT run into attacking deficiencies, this exclusion could loom large. (As for Álex Zendejas, I didn’t have him on my radar, and would have preferred Luna over him.)
The USMNT 26-man World Cup roster
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady, Chicago Fire; Matt Freese, New York City FC; Matt Turner, New England Revolution
Defenders (10): Max Arfsten, Columbus Crew; Sergiño Dest, PSV Eindhoven; Alex Freeman, Villarreal; Mark McKenzie, Toulouse; Tim Ream, Charlotte FC; Chris Richards, Crystal Palace; Antonee Robinson, Fulham; Miles Robinson, FC Cincinnati; Joe Scally, Borussia Mönchengladbach; Auston Trusty, Celtic
Midfielders (4): Tyler Adams, AFC Bournemouth; Sebastian Berhalter, Vancouver Whitecaps; Weston McKennie, Juventus; Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders
Attacking midfielders/wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson, Leeds United; Christian Pulisic, AC Milan; Gio Reyna, Borussia Mönchengladbach; Malik Tillman, Bayer Leverkusen; Tim Weah, Marseille; Álejandro Zendejas, Club América
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun, Monaco; Ricardo Pepi, PSV Eindhoven; Haji Wright, Coventry City
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