World Cup 2026: Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT squad – in pictures

Matt Freese Club: New York City FC Age: 27 Caps: 14 Goalkeeper For three decades, the USMNT was known for producing elite goalkeepers, and names such as Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller were anchors for the team who kept the US competitive even when badly outmatched. The current state of the US goalkeeper pool is the subject of much debate among US fans and the rise of Matt Freese – an MLS keeper who only got his first international start last summer – is only fueling that dialogue. The relatively unheralded Harvard graduate has gone on to start nearly every game since for Mauricio Pochettino and seems a lock to start at the tournament. A solid showing for the US this summer and a move to Europe afterwards would go a long way. Photograph: Andrew J Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images Share

Matt Turner Club: New England Revolution Age: 31 Caps: 53 Goalkeeper The stories you hear about Matt Turner’s high school soccer career border on mythology. Teammates will tell you he saved 30, or sometimes 40 shots a game, insane statistics that are actually backed up by newspaper reports from the time. Turner only started playing the sport when he was 14, and he was a late bloomer to the national team as well, first joining it in 2021; a year later, he’d start all four of the USMNT’s matches at the 2022 World Cup and for a while he appeared to be the closest thing the US had to a locked-on starter in goal. He’s recently been supplanted, and his career abroad also didn’t quite pan out, with Turner returning to the New England Revolution ahead of the 2026 season after stints with Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. Regardless, Turner’s career arc remains remarkable given his origin story. Photograph: Perry McIntyre/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Chris Brady Club: Chicago Fire Age: 22 Caps: 0 Goalkeeper Brady took over after much-hyped fellow Fire academy graduate Gabriel Slonina left for Chelsea, and has been a far better performer than his predecessor. He was named the MLS team’s defender of the year in 2023 – fitting, as the lack of quality ahead of him kept Brady awfully busy. Former US boss Gregg Berhalter and his staff have helped improve his approach to distribution in Chicago, especially short-range recirculation, while his goal prevention is at career-best levels in 2026 to date. Brady is still a bit clumsy about leaving his line for sweeping actions, but he’s still seemingly contending with Diego Kochen to be the program’s future at the position. His hometown, Naperville, Illinois, also bore actor Bob Odenkirk; perhaps Pochettino felt he had “Better Call Brady” as he drafted his squad. Photograph: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images Share

Max Arfsten Club: Columbus Crew Age: 25 Caps: 18 Defender Max Arfsten began the year with an invitation to “camp cupcake”, the January gathering the US use to examine their fringe players and has-beens, guys who rarely go on to become regulars. Today, Arfsten has established himself as one of Pochettino’s most consistent contributors. The California-born wing-back is an ideal fit, especially given his coach’s lack of left-sided options. Arfsten followed a pretty standard MLS developmental path and in 2023 became the first player in league history drafted out of MLS Next Pro. His form in Columbus – 10 goals and seven assists across all competitions in 2025, outstanding numbers for a largely defensive player – earned him interest from abroad. Making any kind of splash at a home World Cup would probably make those approaches even more concrete. Photograph: Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Sergiño Dest Club: PSV Age: 25 Caps: 37 Defender Sergiño Dest has always done things a little differently. As the first American player to ever appear for Barcelona, Dest had the enviable job of being Lionel Messi’s teammate. When the Argentinian legend announced he’d be leaving his boyhood club, most of his teammates showed up in a suit and tie. Dest showed up in a Chicago Bulls jersey and shorts, owing to the fact that he’d forgotten to set an alarm. Dutch by birth, Dest idolized Brazilian legend Ronaldinho as a child and it shows in his play; he possesses flair and style that’s not often seen in American players and particularly not defenders. Dest’s passion occasionally gets the best of him, as it did a few years ago in Concacaf Nations League play, when he was sent off for yelling not only at the ref, but also his own teammates. Photograph: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images Share

Alex Freeman Club: Villarreal Age: 21 Caps: 15 Defender US defender Alex Freeman had played just 10 minutes of first-division soccer before 2025 and now seems poised to feature at the World Cup. The son of former NFL legend Antonio Freeman, the Florida native serves as an example of Pochettino’s proclivity towards youth and his willingness to offer opportunities to sometimes unheralded players. The defender has done well with those chances, having played a large part in the USMNT’s run to the Gold Cup final last summer and even bagging a brace against Uruguay later in the year. A move to La Liga side Villarreal has solidified his place in Pochettino’s squad even as playing time has been hard to come by. Photograph: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images Share

Mark McKenzie Club: Toulouse Age: 27 Caps: 27 Defender While most of his boyhood friends spent Saturday mornings watching cartoons, McKenzie and his father fixated on Milan. A left-footed, ball-playing defender from the Philadelphia Union academy, McKenzie quickly became a standout MLS center-back before turning 22. His form oscillated greatly at Genk, but Ligue 1 has seen him go from strength to strength, logging full-90 shifts with regularity. Upon signing with Toulouse, the McDonald’s French menu offered a sandwich named in his honor. (“It was a promo thing, to be honest. [Ligue 1] is sponsored by McDonald’s. I’m American.”) One of the final and harshest cuts from the 2022 squad, McKenzie regularly speaks up in support of Black representation in the sport. Has recently picked up a photography hobby – film, since the fleeting nature of digital snaps lets one “lose the meaning behind taking the photo itself”. Photograph: Johnnie Izquierdo/USSF/Getty Images Share

Tim Ream Club: Charlotte FC Age: 38 Caps: 80 Defender Twenty years ago, Tim Ream probably never imagined he’d one day be the USMNT’s elder statesman. At the time, he was driving a beat-up Pontiac Grand Am five hours from St Louis to Chicago to play developmental soccer. Now, Ream isn’t just the elder statesman, he’s something approaching an elderly statesman, in line to become the oldest player in the history of the US men’s national team to appear in a World Cup. He has unquestionably lost a step or two, but his experience and calming presence is badly needed on a backline that’s still very young and occasionally error-prone. Ream doesn’t chalk his longevity up to any given workout routine, instead citing the smaller things: walking his dogs, fishing and even zoning out while playing with Legos. “Grandpa”, as his USMNT teammates sometimes call him, has no plans to retire anytime soon, having said he feels he could play another two or three years. Hopefully the US can find a replacement by 2030. Photograph: Kevin C Cox/Getty Images Share

Chris Richards Club: Crystal Palace Age: 26 Caps: 36 Defender The reigning US men’s player of the year hailing from Hoover, Alabama, Richards chose soccer over basketball after his under-16 team visited Argentina. He was cut from his first trial with FC Dallas’ academy before the MLS side extended an offer one year later. He eventually signed his first pro contract with Bayern Munich just before turning 19. A loan with Hoffenheim set him on the path that sees him regularly start for Crystal Palace. Quickly emerging as a vocal leader for club and country alike, Richards was the only Eagle to play all 540 minutes of Palace’s triumphant FA Cup run in 2025. He already has the 10th-most appearances among US field players in Premier League history. His leg bears a tattoo of a cartoon he drew at age 3 of himself playing soccer. If only we all could have such career clarity so soon. Photograph: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images Share

Antonee Robinson Club: Fulham Age: 28 Caps: 52 Defender Certainly the greatest American player to hail from Milton Keynes, Robinson is a naturalized citizen as his father had moved to New York when Antonee was nine. Already a starter for this team in 2022, Robinson arguably saw his career peak soon after, winning Fulham player of the season in 2023-24 and consecutively pocketing Bukayo Saka and Mo Salah the following season. Injuries plagued him throughout 2025-26, minimizing his impact before the season’s business end. Robinson is proudly nicknamed “Jedi” in honor of his obsession with Star Wars. “I introduce myself as Jedi these days just to make it easier,” Robinson told Wigan Athletic’s website upon joining in 2018. “There’s quite a bit of force in it.” He has not publicly stated his views on Disney’s sequel trilogy. He’s also a budding illusionist who won’t shy away from learning a card trick. Photograph: Johnnie Izquierdo/USSF/Getty Images Share

Miles Robinson Club: FC Cincinnati Age: 29 Caps: 38 Defender At age 9, Miles Robinson stood 5ft 9in and wore a size 13 shoe. Those are typically the characteristics of an up-and-coming basketball player, and indeed that was the sport where Robinson first showed promise. Once he switched to soccer, though, he excelled – despite his first coach recalling that he was “looking like Bambi” out on the pitch. Robinson developed at Syracuse University, and broke through as a professional at Atlanta United, where his physical profile combined with impressive 1-v-1 defending ability and an advanced reading of the game to become one of the league’s best center-backs. He was near-certain to play a big role for the US at the 2022 World Cup, but a ruptured achilles ruled him out for the tournament. A devastating injury, to be sure, but Robinson didn’t let the heartbreak keep him from watching with friends and family. “I was outside watching that shit,” he told Goal.com . Photograph: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images Share

Joe Scally Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach Age: 23 Caps: 24 Defender Despite being just 23, Joe Scally is one of the most experienced members of the US national team, a stalwart in the Bundesliga with 24 caps to his name. Still, he was out of the picture for most of 2025 after a bad performance at Nations League that drew some pointed comments from Pochettino. A right back who is comfortable playing on the opposite flank or as a right center back in a three-man backline, Scally hails from Long Island, New York, and came up through the NYC FC academy. As befitting his origins, he has been known to request his mom bring bagels with her from home when visiting – unfortunately, they often end up stale by the time they arrive. Photograph: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images Share

Auston Trusty Club: Celtic Age: 27 Caps: 6 Defender Auston Trusty grew up in Media, Pennsylvania, surrounded by a friend group in which he was the only one who cared seriously about soccer. His connection to the game, then, came via family: Trusty’s sister, Onnie Nicholson, played with the US women’s national team at youth level alongside future stars such as Alyssa Naeher, Kelley O’Hara and Tobin Heath. His journey, he says, has been almost single-mindedly geared towards being in the picture for the 2026 World Cup. After coming through the vaunted local Philadelphia Union youth academy, Trusty moved to Colorado before being a surprising sale to Arsenal. His stock really began to rise after establishing himself in the Premier League with Sheffield United, and then in Scotland with Celtic. At each stop, Trusty has remained, well, trusty, eventually finding a consistent, durable place along the backline. Photograph: Jared C Tilton/Getty Images Share

Tyler Adams Club: Bournemouth Age: 27 Caps: 52 Midfielder So important to the US midfield is Adams that the fanbase’s morale plummets with each of his unfortunately chronic injuries. He was the ballboy who supplied Thierry Henry with the ball for his iconic 2012 Olimpico with the New York Red Bulls, shortly before he was first shoehorned into the club’s lineup as a right-back while only 16. He’s now an established Premier League anchor, having studied Philipp Lahm, Pep Guardiola and Joshua Kimmich to refine his approach to defensive midfield work. The Scottish side of his family backs Rangers, and one uncle trained his dog to growl when they say “Celtic”. Every coach he’s had states he’s built for the big occasions; keeping him available is at the top of the physio department’s priorities. Photograph: Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Sebastian Berhalter Club: Vancouver Whitecaps Age: 25 Caps: 11 Midfielder He’s perhaps not the Berhalter many fans expected to be involved when the 2026 World Cup cycle kicked off. The son of previous US coach Gregg earned his US debut under Pochettino, going entirely uninvolved during his father’s six-year stretch as USMNT coach. He credits the ability to train with his dad during Covid-19 lockdown as unlocking more of his athleticism and potential. At one point he considered hanging up his boots after Austin FC declined a purchase option following his 2021 loan. Vancouver provided the launchpad he needed. One of MLS’s breakout stars in 2025, Berhalter made the year-end Best XI after joining forces with Thomas Müller to reach the club’s first MLS Cup. His mother, Rosalind, was a two-time national champion on the University of North Carolina’s vaunted soccer team. Berhalter, in German, means “bear herder”; his long distribution is sweeter than honey. Photograph: Michael Pimentel/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Weston McKennie Club: Juventus Age: 27 Caps: 64 Midfielder Weston McKennie is among the most talented players the United States has ever produced, and he’s also among the most doubted. Formed in the youth system of FC Dallas and at the now-defunct US Soccer youth residency program in Bradenton, Florida, McKennie moved abroad to develop at Schalke before becoming the first American to appear for Italian giants Juventus in 2020. McKennie has at times struggled to be appropriately recognized at that club, and a disastrous loan spell to Leeds United in 2023 didn’t help his case much. Even as a consistent contributor, the 27-year-old was frequently the subject of transfer rumors, or talked about as being dropped from the club’s plans. All of this despite the fact that very few – if any – players on Juventus’ current roster have performed as consistently well as McKennie has over the last two years. At this point, the kid who grew up in Little Elm, Texas is among the club’s greatest-ever Champions League goalscorers, trailing only Michel Platini and Pavel Nedved. His recent form seems to have finally convinced – in March of this year, Juventus signed him through 2030. Photograph: Kevin C Cox/Getty Images Share

Cristian Roldan Club: Seattle Sounders Age: 30 Caps: 45 Midfielder Cristian Roldan was still many years away from being a professional when he had his first brush with fame. The Seattle Sounders stalwart was just 9 when he starred in a classic Adidas commercial , playing a young soccer player who spent the day gathering plastic bags, which he the unturned into a ball to juggle in a dirt plot beside a highway. That 9-year-old has gone on to make more than 400 appearances for the Sounders, standing as one of the most respected players in MLS. A quintessential “locker room guy”, Roldan has built his career on doing the dirty work that makes his teammates better, but he’s not immune to stepping up with a big goal when needed. Photograph: Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Brenden Aaronson Club: Leeds Age: 25 Caps: 57 Attacking midfielder/Winger Long before Brenden Aaronson made his debut at Elland Road, the former Philadelphia Union midfielder was honing his skills in a Medford, New Jersey basement. His father, Rusty, was a former professional player himself, and set up the lower level of his house as a mini pitch of sorts, one where Aaronson, along with his brother Paxten, could hone their skills. His work paid off, with both players having plied their trade in Europe. A product of the Union’s academy, Aaronson’s 2020 transfer to Red Bull Salzburg set what was at the time a record fee for an MLS homegrown player. By the time he joined Leeds years later, his value had only risen, and he was a key piece for Leeds as they avoided the drop this season. Not bad for a kid his teammates once called the “Medford Messi”. Photograph: Andrew J Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images Share

Christian Pulisic Club: Milan Age: 27 Caps: 84 Winger This generation of US players has more than ever playing at elite clubs in Europe, but none of them are as important to the team’s success as Christian Pulisic. When he’s on form, “the kid from Hershey, Pennsylvania” is more capable than anyone in the team of knifing through defenders, and finding small windows in which to take shots and, ideally, score goals. Though he’s surrounded by a more than capable US roster, the pressure on Pulisic to perform at this World Cup is immense. He is the face of the program, even if he himself is more of an introvert. Photograph: Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Gio Reyna Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach Age: 23 Caps: 36 Attacking midfielder Gio Reyna is descended from US Soccer royalty, the son of former USMNT captain and World Cup veteran Claudio Reyna. The younger Reyna has sometimes struggled to escape that shadow, though it has nothing to do with his play on the field. During the 2022 World Cup, Reyna’s absence from the US lineup was attributed to a “lack of commitment” by US coach Gregg Berhalter and less than a year later, it was revealed that his mother had privately informed US Soccer during the tournament about damaging information regarding Berhalter’s past. The entire series of events has hung over Reyna’s national team career, and poor form and fitness at Mönchengladbach haven’t helped his case recently. Despite his undoubted talent on the ball, he remains as polarizing as ever. Photograph: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images Share

Malik Tillman Club: Bayer Leverkusen Age: 23 Caps: 28 Attacking midfielder The latest in a long line of German American dual-nationals to turn out for the US team, Malik Tillman’s place was far from a sure thing when he filed a one-time switch from the country where he grew up. That place has solidified considerably in the last year, especially with a strong run of games over the summer of 2025, including the Concacaf Gold Cup. Quiet and reserved off the field, Tillman’s creative instincts on the pitch are renowned enough that Bayer Leverkusen brought him in to be Florian Wirtz’s replacement after he moved to Liverpool. Photograph: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images Share

Tim Weah Club: Marseille Age: 26 Caps: 49 Winger His father may be an icon of African soccer and Liberia’s former president, but it was Tim who opened the family’s World Cup goalscoring account in 2022. A nimble dribbler who can capably cross from the right and shoot off-center, Weah is an ideal foil opposite Christian Pulisic for the US. Weah writes and performs trap soul music on the side, having built a studio in his house while with Lille. He admitted that his time playing at Juventus tested his confidence, as their rotating cast of coaches shuffled him both throughout the right wing and in and out of their teamsheets. More settled with Marseille, after having gotten a 4am call from Roberto De Zerbi as part of the French club’s recruitment. Photograph: Andrew J Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images Share

Alejandro Zendejas Club: Club América Age: 28 Caps: 13 Winger In a country with plenty of Mexican American dual-nationals, Alejandro Zendejas is one of a very small group to have played for both teams. A drawn-out, technical drama regarding his eligibility played out over months, eventually ending with his commitment to the United States. Under Pochettino, Zendejas has found a role off the bench as a speedy, creative attacker. In a rarity for a US international, Zendejas is also a key attacking player in Liga MX, captain giants Club América, donning the No 10 shirt for Las Aguilas. Photograph: Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Folarin Balogun Club: Monaco Age: 24 Caps: 25 Striker Give the assist for this roster selection to the US commercial airline industry. Folarin Balogun was still in utero when his mother visited New York on vacation, but the return trip never happened as the airline refused to let her board the plane due to the size of her belly and how close she was to giving birth. As a result, Folarin was born in Brooklyn and was off to London months later, where he fell in love with football and came up through the Arsenal academy. Now one of the most promising strikers in Europe, “Flo” is expected to lead the line for the US, using his speed, tactical awareness and deft finishing touch to give his birth country something to cheer about. Photograph: Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Ricardo Pepi Club: PSV Age: 23 Caps: 35 Striker Among the last and more agonizing cuts from the 2022 World Cup roster, Ricardo Pepi has done plenty to prove he deserves his spot in the US team in the four years since Qatar. He has scored 10 of his 13 international goals in that span, and went from riding the bench at Augsburg to being a key part of a PSV side that have won three consecutive Dutch league titles. Born on the US/Mexico border, Pepi’s breakthrough came with FC Dallas after turning heads due to his impressive scoring rate at youth level. The rate was so impressive that fans began talking about the Ricardo Pepi hype train - lending him a nickname, El Tren, that sticks among some US fans to this day. Photograph: Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images Share

Haji Wright Club: Coventry Age: 28 Caps: 20 Striker / Winger Against all odds, this World Cup will include a former New York Cosmo . Born some 58 years after Pelé, Wright’s professional career began in 2015 with three appearances on a squad that included Spain legends Raul and Marcos Senna, but the second-division club opted not to renew his deal after one season. Wright didn’t stick with Schalke, VVV-Venlo or Sønderjyske, but a loan to Antalyaspor provided him with the finishing chops that endeared him to Frank Lampard at Coventry. More dynamic than most who match his considerable stature, Wright idolized Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry as a kid and punishes defenses by cutting inwards from the left flank with similar glee. Photograph: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images Share

World Cup 2026: Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT squad – in pictures

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