Pochettino's 26: Inside the Gambles, Gaps, and Growing Pains of the USMNT's 2026 World Cup Roster

On May 27, 2026, Mauricio Pochettino stood before a crowd in New York City and read 26 names into a microphone. Those names — announced live on FOX — now constitute the United States Men's National Team roster for the FIFA World Cup 2026, a tournament the country will co-host with Canada and Mexico beginning June 11 [1]. The squad is headlined by AC Milan attacker Christian Pulisic, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, and Bournemouth's Tyler Adams, alongside first-timers like AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun and NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese [2].

Thirteen players return from the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where the U.S. reached the Round of 16. The other thirteen will experience a World Cup for the first time [1]. It is a roster that blends continuity with ambition — but one that has already provoked pointed questions about its depth in midfield, its reliance on veterans over form, and whether the four-year runway of automatic qualification as a host nation was used wisely.

The Full 26

Goalkeepers (3): Matt Freese (NYCFC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution), Chris Brady (Chicago Fire)

Defenders (10): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño 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 Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

Midfielders/Attackers (10): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América)

Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV), Haji Wright (Coventry City) [3]

Where They Play: The European Tilt

Of the 26 players, 17 are based at European clubs, eight play in MLS, and one — Alejandro Zendejas — plays in Mexico's Liga MX [4]. That 65% European share represents the most Europe-heavy USMNT World Cup squad in history.

Source: NBC News / U.S. Soccer

Data as of May 27, 2026CSV

All three goalkeepers come from MLS, as do defenders Tim Ream and Miles Robinson, and midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Cristian Roldan. The European contingent spans England's Premier League (Adams, Robinson, Richards), Serie A (Pulisic, McKennie), Ligue 1 (Balogun, Weah, McKenzie), the Eredivisie (Dest, Pepi), the Bundesliga (Reyna, Scally, Tillman), La Liga (Freeman), and the English Championship (Aaronson, Wright) [4][5].

The league distribution reflects a decade-long USSF pipeline shift toward developing players abroad. MLS academies still produce talent — Brady and Arfsten both came through MLS pathways — but the premium selections are overwhelmingly European-trained.

A Record Number of Dual Nationals

Thirteen players on the 2026 roster hold dual citizenship: Folarin Balogun (USA/England), Sebastian Berhalter (USA/Netherlands), Sergiño Dest (USA/Netherlands), Christian Pulisic (USA/Croatia), Mark McKenzie (USA/Jamaica), Ricardo Pepi (USA/Mexico), Gio Reyna (USA/Portugal), Antonee Robinson (USA/England), Cristian Roldan (USA/Guatemala), Malik Tillman (USA/Germany), Matt Turner (USA/England), Tim Weah (USA/France), and Alejandro Zendejas (USA/Mexico) [4].

That count of 13 represents a substantial increase from 2022, when nine dual nationals were named to the Qatar roster, and from 2014, when approximately seven made the trip to Brazil [6][7].

Source: U.S. Soccer / MLS Soccer

Data as of May 27, 2026CSV

The trend line is clear: the USMNT has increasingly relied on players born or raised abroad who were recruited — sometimes in contentious FIFA eligibility battles — to switch allegiance. Zendejas himself was at the center of a high-profile eligibility dispute with Mexico before committing to the U.S. in 2023 [3]. The pipeline reflects USSF's aggressive scouting of dual-eligible talent across Europe and Latin America, a strategy that has broadened the player pool but also drawn criticism from those who argue it comes at the expense of domestic development.

The 2022 Holdovers and Those Left Behind

Of the 26 players selected for Qatar in 2022 under Gregg Berhalter, 13 return for 2026. The notable absentees from that 2022 squad include goalkeeper Sean Johnson, defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers, Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore, Aaron Long, and DeAndre Yedlin, midfielders Kellyn Acosta, Luca de la Torre, and Yunus Musah, and forwards Jesús Ferreira, Jordan Morris, and Josh Sargent [8][9].

The most striking individual decline belongs to Yunus Musah, who was a starter for Valencia and then AC Milan in 2022 but has since struggled for consistent club minutes. One position-by-position comparison published by Yardbarker described Musah's absence as "the largest four-year decline on the roster" [9].

In the forward line, the addition of Balogun — who scored consistently for Monaco in Ligue 1 — and Pepi — who scored at a rate of one goal per 88 minutes for PSV — represents a clear upgrade over the 2022 options of Ferreira and Morris [9].

Position Breakdown: Defenders Loaded, Midfield Thin

The most scrutinized structural choice in Pochettino's roster is the allocation of spots by position: 10 defenders, 10 midfielders and attacking players, and just three out-and-out strikers [3].

Source: NBC News

Data as of May 27, 2026CSV

While carrying 10 defenders may reflect the demands of Pochettino's 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1 systems (discussed below), the midfield composition has alarmed analysts. Tyler Adams is the only natural defensive midfielder in the squad. The decision to bring Berhalter and Roldan — both MLS-based — over Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), and Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) left the roster, in the words of Sports Illustrated, "extremely fragile" at central midfield, "creating a huge issue should even one midfielder be sidelined due to exhaustion, injury, or suspension" [10][11].

The Snubs: Tessmann, Luna, and Morris

Three names dominated post-announcement criticism — and all three are central midfielders.

Tanner Tessmann, 24, made 41 appearances for Lyon in Ligue 1 this season, starting 28 matches and logging 2,546 minutes. He had played in each of the USMNT's last six matches and participated in the March camp against Belgium and Portugal [10]. His omission in favor of Roldan — who at 31 has not been in top form with Seattle this season — struck many observers as prioritizing familiarity over current form.

Diego Luna, 22, had become a fan favorite who recorded 4 goals and 3 assists in 608 minutes after returning from a knee injury. RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said "in 2025, the national team really leaned on him" for both attacking play and mentality [10]. Luna had made 18 USMNT appearances, 17 under Pochettino.

Aidan Morris had been a regular under Pochettino and competed in England's Championship with Middlesbrough. Sports Illustrated noted the irony that "the 31-year-old Roldan, who has not been in top form with the Sounders this season, was selected over a younger, similar option that thrived in MLS and then made the move to Europe" [10].

The common thread: all three snubs are central midfielders in their early-to-mid twenties playing at a higher level than at least one of the players chosen over them. Whether this reflects conservatism, loyalty to camp culture, or a calculated risk, it is the single most debated element of Pochettino's selection.

Market Value: Where the U.S. Stands Globally

The USMNT squad carries a combined market valuation of approximately €357 million, according to Transfermarkt [12]. That places the United States well outside the top 10 most valuable squads at the tournament.

Source: SportsOrca / Transfermarkt

Data as of May 27, 2026CSV

England leads all 48 nations at approximately €1.3 billion, followed closely by France (€1.28 billion), Brazil (€1 billion), and Spain (€920 million) [13]. Co-host Canada and Mexico do not appear in the top tier — Canada's squad value is estimated below the U.S. figure, while Mexico fields a squad broadly comparable in market terms. The U.S. sits in the range of 15th–20th among the 48 participating nations, a reflection of a player pool that, while improved, still lacks the elite-level depth of traditional soccer powers.

The most valuable individual on the roster is Christian Pulisic, whose market value at AC Milan is estimated at approximately €55 million. Malik Tillman at Bayer Leverkusen and Ricardo Pepi at PSV round out the top three [12].

Pochettino's Tactical System: The Back-Three Shift

One of the defining tactical developments of Pochettino's tenure has been a shift to a three-at-the-back system. After a difficult 2W-4L start that included losses to Panama and Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four, Pochettino experimented with a 3-4-3 / 3-4-2-1 for the final five matches of 2025 [14].

The results were immediate: four wins and a draw, including a 2-0 shutout of Japan — the team's first clean sheet against a top-25 opponent since beating Iran at the 2022 World Cup [14]. Tim Ream praised the switch as a "stroke of genius," noting that the system solved a longstanding problem of where to deploy Pulisic by giving him a free central role with reduced defensive responsibility [15].

The system demands wingbacks who can cover the full flank — a role tailor-made for Antonee Robinson and Joe Scally — and three center-backs comfortable in possession. That explains the defensive-heavy roster: Richards, McKenzie, Ream, Miles Robinson, Trusty, and Dest can all operate in a back three [3][14].

The question of fit, however, is real. Several players — most notably Adams, McKennie, and Aaronson — have spent the majority of their club minutes in 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 systems. Whether they can transition smoothly to a formation with two central midfielders rather than three remains an open question heading into tournament play.

Has the Team Actually Improved? The Evidence Is Mixed

As a co-host, the U.S. was automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup, bypassing the competitive grind of CONCACAF qualifying that historically sharpened the team through high-stakes matches. The question of whether that four-year window was used productively has no simple answer.

Pochettino's overall record through 24 matches stands at 13 wins, 2 draws, and 9 losses [3]. A more granular view: the team went 2W-4L in its first six competitive matches, then improved to an 8W-2L-2D record in the final 12 matches of 2025, including a run to the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final (lost to Mexico) [16][17]. Goal.com's mid-2025 assessment characterized his tenure as "long on inspiration and culture, short on tactics and results," though the late-2025 surge moderated that criticism [18].

The team averaged 1.5 goals per game under Pochettino through 2025, reflecting improvement in attacking output [16]. Defensively, the back-three switch tightened the unit. But the team had gone seven consecutive matches without a win against a top-25 ranked opponent before beating Japan — a streak that underscored the risk of reduced competitive stakes during the qualifying bypass [14].

The counterargument: the U.S. used the automatic-qualification window to schedule ambitious friendlies (Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Australia) that a team grinding through CONCACAF qualifying would not have had time for. Whether those matches provided equivalent preparation to the pressure of actual qualification is a matter of perspective.

The Conservative-Roster Argument

The case that this roster was too conservative centers on the midfield selections. Tessmann's 2,546 minutes in Ligue 1 dwarf Roldan's MLS production. Luna's 4 goals and 3 assists in limited minutes after injury suggest a player peaking at the right time. Morris made the jump from MLS to a demanding European league, demonstrating exactly the upward trajectory USSF claims to value [10].

ESPN's post-announcement analysis described some of Pochettino's choices as "risky," noting that the squad is "taking risks" by leaving experienced depth on the table in favor of players with established relationships in camp [19]. FOX Sports' Doug McIntyre, reporting on the back-three tactical shift, suggested the system's success should have opened the door to younger, more dynamic midfield options who could thrive in a two-man pivot [14].

On the other side: Pochettino knows these players. Berhalter and Roldan both made the 2025 MLS Best XI [4]. Roldan brings 39 caps of experience. And a World Cup on home soil — where chemistry and composure may matter as much as raw talent — is not the place to gamble on integration, defenders of the selections argue.

Group D and What Comes Next

The U.S. opens its World Cup campaign on June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, followed by Australia on June 19 in Seattle and Turkey on June 25 back at SoFi [20]. Group D is competitive but navigable: Turkey's squad is valued at €460 million and features genuine quality, Australia is physical and organized, and Paraguay is the weakest opponent on paper.

Expectations for a host nation are high. The 1994 squad — the last time the U.S. hosted — advanced to the Round of 16. Anything less in 2026 would be considered a failure. The real benchmark is a quarterfinal, a stage the USMNT has reached only once, in 2002.

Whether Pochettino's 26 are the right 26 will be answered on the pitch. The roster has clear strengths: an elite attacker in Pulisic, upgraded striker options in Balogun and Pepi, tactical flexibility through the back-three system, and home-field advantage across matches in California and Seattle. Its weaknesses are equally clear: a midfield one injury away from crisis, a head coach whose record against top opposition is uneven, and the intangible question of whether a team that never had to qualify carries the competitive edge of one that did.