Quick answer: Mauricio Pochettino has named a 26-man USA World Cup 2026 squad for the FIFA World Cup, headlined by captain Christian Pulisic and built on 13 Qatar 2022 returnees and 13 World Cup debutants. The hosts open Group D against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on June 12.
USA World Cup 2026 squad guide
The wait is finally over. After a year and a half of experimentation, a Gold Cup wobble in the summer of 2025 and more selection debates than most American fans care to remember, Mauricio Pochettino walked onto a stage in New York City on May 26 and read out the 26 names that will carry the United States into a home World Cup.
The reveal, broadcast live on FOX in front of hundreds of fans, closed a long chapter of selection drama. Thirteen players, half the roster, were part of the USA World Cup suqad at the 2022 edition, tying the U.S. mark for the highest number of returnees between consecutive World Cups. The other thirteen are about to learn what a World Cup feels like from the inside.
The 26-player roster has an average age of 26 years and 332 days on the day of the opener against Paraguay, ranking the 2026 group as the fifth youngest the United States has sent to a World Cup. Veteran defender Tim Ream is the oldest name on the list at 38, and should he appear against Paraguay, he would become the oldest player to ever play for the USMNT at a FIFA World Cup.
“You only have a World Cup in your home country once in your life,” Pulisic said after taking his jersey at the reveal. The AC Milan forward will captain the team and arrives in the best individual form of his international career.
Full USA World Cup 2026 squad
Goalkeepers
Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution).
Defenders
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
Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).
Forwards
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille), Haji Wright (Coventry City), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América).
The big calls: Reyna in, Tessmann and Luna out
There is rarely a roster reveal without raised eyebrows, and Pochettino delivered his share.
The most debated inclusion was Gio Reyna. The Borussia Mönchengladbach attacker played just 137 minutes in league play across eight appearances since the start of the calendar year, yet the coach pointed to his “amazing talent” and the value of experience as justification.
The omissions stung elsewhere. Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann had been shut down with a muscle injury and was expected to recover in time, but Pochettino opted to leave him off the roster. Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, a Pochettino favourite for much of the cycle, paid the price for Alejandro Zendejas’s late surge at Club América. Zendejas, with four goals and two assists over his last five Liga MX matches of the season, made a late push to force his way back in.
The squad is unusually heavy on defenders. Pochettino opted to select Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Joe Scally, with 10 defensive players in total making the final squad.
Group D: where the hosts stand
The USMNT sits in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye. On paper it looks navigable, but each opponent carries a different kind of threat.
- Friday, June 12: USA vs Paraguay, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, 9pm ET
- Friday, June 19: USA vs Australia, Lumen Field, Seattle, 3pm ET
- Thursday, June 25: USA vs Türkiye, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, 10pm ET
Paraguay are back at a World Cup after missing three consecutive tournaments between 2014 and 2022, having reached the quarter-finals as recently as 2010. They scored sparingly in CONMEBOL qualifying under the pragmatic Gustavo Alfaro but beat Brazil and Argentina down the stretch. Australia, ranked 26th in the world, are built on stubborn structure and set pieces under Tony Popovic. Türkiye’s attacking generation is talented enough that, with the right defensive shape, they could push for second place.
Read more: USA vs Paraguay: World Cup 2026 Match Preview
The USMNT has the highest FIFA world ranking out of the four Group D teams at No. 16, with Turkey at No. 22, Australia at No. 27 and Paraguay at No. 40. Anything less than the round of 16 would be considered a serious setback on home soil.
Storylines worth watching
This is a squad with chapters still being written. AS Monaco’s Folarin Balogun produced 19 goals and four assists across all competitions this season, finally giving Pochettino the centre-forward profile he has lacked. Haji Wright’s 17 goals for Coventry City was second most in the English Championship and helped the Sky Blues gain promotion to the Premier League, meaning there is firepower in reserve.
Tim Weah and Haji Wright join Pulisic as the three players on the roster who have scored a World Cup goal. Thirteen players in the squad are dual nationals, including Balogun, Dest, Pulisic, McKenzie, Pepi, Reyna, Robinson, Roldan, Tillman, Turner, Weah and Zendejas, a reminder of how this team has been built across borders.
The U.S. last reached the quarterfinals in 2002 and has failed to advance past the Round of 16 since then. Pochettino, who has been clear from the moment he took the job in 2024, sees this as the cycle to change that. The coach acknowledged that he had been “working really hard” for more than a year to reach this point, and that no squad call would please everyone.
FAQs
Who is the USA captain at the 2026 World Cup? Christian Pulisic. The AC Milan forward arrives off the best season of his career in Serie A and was front and centre at the squad reveal in New York.
Who is the USA coach for the 2026 World Cup? Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea manager, has been in charge since 2024 and named his final 26 on May 26, 2026.
Which group is the USA in at the 2026 World Cup? Group D, with Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye. All three group matches are on the West Coast.
When is the USA’s first World Cup 2026 match? Friday, June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, 9pm ET, live on FOX.
Who is the oldest player in the USA 2026 World Cup squad? Tim Ream, 38, of Charlotte FC. If he plays against Paraguay he becomes the oldest player ever to feature for the USA at a World Cup.
Were there any notable omissions? Yes. Lyon’s Tanner Tessmann missed out through injury, while Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna lost out to Alejandro Zendejas’s late form push at Club América.
