Every past, present Atlanta United player who's been on a World Cup roster

The 2026 World Cup will feature a tournament-high 19 players from Manchester City, with Bayern Munich right behind with 18 and PSG and Arsenal both sending 16 players. Atlanta United, meanwhile, will have two. Or, depending on how you look at it, one and a half.

That got us thinking: How many all-time Atlanta United players have made a World Cup roster? A couple of these are low-hanging fruit. While doing the research for this piece, though, there were several that surprised me (and could surprise you, even!).

Let’s dive in:

Brad Guzan, United States (2010, 2014)

Before he put on the No. 1 shirt for Atlanta United, Brad Guzan was Tim Howard’s backup on the USMNT, making Bob Bradley’s World Cup roster in 2010 before being named to Jurgen Klinsmann’s 2014 squad. He didn’t make an appearance in either tournament, but the experience of representing his country on the sport’s biggest stage was certainly an honor in and of itself.

Carlos Carmona, Chile (2010, 2014)

Valeria Witters/Witters Sport via Imagn Images

This is a bit of a deep cut. Carmona, of course, played for Atlanta United during their inaugural 2017 campaign, but was also capped 51 times for La Roja. During 2010’s World Cup in South Africa, he started and played every minute of Chile’s first two group stage matches against Honduras and Switzerland, but picked up a yellow card in both and was suspended the following match against Spain before returning for a 3-0 loss against Brazil in the Round of 16. He was then named to the 2014 roster and made one appearance, coming on as a late-game substitute during a 2-0 win over Spain.

Alexey Miranchuk, Russia (2018)

The World Cup was held in Russia in 2018, with the hosts making it to the final eight before falling to eventual runner-up Croatia in penalties. Its roster that year included Miranchuk, who at the time was a 22-year-old playing his club football at Lokomotiv Moscow. He ended up starting and playing 60 minutes in a 3-0 loss to Uruguay that closed out Group A action. (And yes, Alexey’s twin brother, Anton, was on the team as well.)

Thiago Almada, Argentina (2022, 2026)

In 2022, Almada became the first active Atlanta United player to appear in a World Cup, eventually becoming the first active MLS player to lift the winners’ trophy after La Albiceleste won a final for the ages against France. Almada was just 21 years old at that point and saw just six minutes of playing time. He’ll play a much larger role in 2026 as Argentina looks to become the first country to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

Miles Robinson, United States (2026)

In another world, this would be Robinson’s second World Cup appearance. He was a sure bet to make Gregg Berhalter’s 26-man squad in 2022 as an Atlanta United player before suffering a devastating Achilles rupture at Mercedes-Benz Stadium just six months before the tournament. Four years later, Robinson has finally achieved his dream, and though he hasn’t worn an Atlanta kit in a while, Five Stripes fans were pleased to see him announced as part of Mauricio Pochettino’s roster.

Miguel Almirón and Matias Galarza, Paraguay (2026)

The 2026 World Cup marks the first for La Albirroja since a Tata Martino-led side came just minutes from taking Spain to penalties in a 2010 quarterfinal. While Almirón was in Cerro Porteño’s academy at that time, Galarza was just eight years old. Sixteen years later, they’re both part of Gustavo Alfaro’s squad. Paraguay probably won’t make the dream run it enjoyed under Martino in South Africa, but this is a team that isn’t to be taken lightly.

Derrick Etienne, Haiti (2026)

Etienne didn’t have quite the impact with Atlanta United as hoped prior to his trade to Toronto FC. After being a mainstay in Haiti’s national team setup early in his career before falling out of the picture, he’s worked his way back onto the roster under Sébastien Migné. That’s culminated in Les Grenadiers qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1974 and Etienne landing on a 26-man squad that will face the likes of Morocco (in Atlanta) and Brazil in Group C play.

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