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Jeff Carlisle
Perhaps you’ve heard: The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than a year away, and as such, the roster for the United States men’s national team is taking shape. Mind you, there have been times when the outline of said roster has looked more like a funhouse mirror than a perfectly rendered image.
The recently concluded Gold Cup featured absences that reached into the double figures, which enabled several players to get on the field who otherwise wouldn’t have. Some seized their opportunity and will get further looks, while others will have little to no shot at making the 26-player roster next summer.
But U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino has had to cope with the hand he’s been dealt, and — knock on wood — the American player pool is at least beginning to heal up, likely giving him more options going forward. With that in mind, here is latest look at a projected roster for 2026, with some room at the end for those on the outside looking in.
Goalkeepers (3)
Matt Turner | 31 | New England Revolution (on loan from Lyon)
Turner’s return to MLS from Europe looks like a retreat, but moving back to New England should give him something he has been lacking ever since he left the Revs in 2022: steady playing time. And if he does get regular minutes, one would presume that he’ll be the starter next summer.
It’s worth remembering that Turner has one item on his résumé that his competitors don’t: World Cup experience. But Pochettino has made it clear that performances matter, and Turner will need to deliver at club level if he’s to reclaim his starting spot with the USMNT.
Matt Freese | 26 | New York City FC
Freese boosted his stock with some solid performances at the Gold Cup, which included outdueling Costa Rica legend Keylor Navas in a penalty shootout. There were mistakes, including a giveaway that led to a goal against Haiti, and that is something he’ll need to clean up. Suffice to say, the competition for the starting goalkeeper position is wide open, and now that Turner is back in MLS, Freese’s performances will be compared on a weekly basis.
Zack Steffen | 30 | Colorado Rapids
Steffen looked poised to get some playing time at the Gold Cup, only for a knee injury to scuttle his opportunity. Staying healthy is the single biggest issue holding Steffen back. He had a muscle injury earlier this season, and another knee injury in 2023 hastened his return to MLS from Europe. The good news is that when Steffen has seen field this season, he has played well. He ranks third in the league with 5.99 goals prevented in just 14 matches and also impressed with the Americans in January, meaning Pochettino has already seen up close what Steffen is capable of.
Center backs (5)
Chris Richards | 25 | Crystal Palace
Richards was the United States’ best player at the Gold Cup, going from “possible starter” before the tournament to “first name on the team sheet” after. He’s as close to a lock as you can get for the World Cup roster.
Tim Ream | 37 | Charlotte FC
Ream was solid at the Gold Cup, with his leadership and experience doing plenty to lead the U.S. into the final, but for how long can Pochettino rely on the 37-year-old? It’s one thing to deliver at the Gold Cup; the competition at the World Cup will be several notches higher. This is no fault of Ream’s, of course. It’s up to another player to push him out of the lineup, and so far, that hasn’t happened.
Mark McKenzie | 26 | Toulouse
The New York City native had a successful first season in Ligue 1 with Toulouse, but he has yet to translate that into consistency with the Americans. McKenzie looked to have earned Pochettino’s trust following the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal round against Jamaica, but subsequent performances against Canada, Turkey and Switzerland saw him fall out of favor.
Given the pedigree of his league, McKenzie is among the prime candidates to supplant Ream, but he’ll need to raise his game in order to make that happen.
Cameron Carter-Vickers | 27 | Celtic
Few defenders in the United States pool provide as imposing of a physical presence as Carter-Vickers, but he needs a refined passer beside him. The Celtic center back showed well in limited minutes at the World Cup when he partnered with Ream in the 1-0 win over Iran. Since then, there have been shaky outings in the Copa America and Nations League. He’s a player Pochettino knows well given their brief overlap at Tottenham Hotspur. Can CCV make more of an impression in the time that’s left?
Miles Robinson | 28 | FC Cincinnati
Robinson was a hard-luck omission in 2022, when a torn Achilles prevented from making the U.S. squad that went to Qatar. He hasn’t quite gotten back to that pre-injury level and had just a few cameos at the Gold Cup, but he has been solid for FCC, and his ability to cover space behind the defense remains a strong suit.
Full backs (4)
Sergiño Dest | 24 | PSV Eindhoven
The most welcome sight of the week was Dest scoring the winner for PSV in the Dutch Super Cup against Go Ahead Eagles. The U.S. has missed the right back immensely since he last played for the U.S., in March 2024, given his ability to create the unexpected going forward.
Antonee Robinson | 27 | Fulham
Robinson is another mainstay who appears to be on his way back after having knee surgery earlier this summer. His delivery from wide positions is a weapon Pochettino will be keen to exploit when Robinson returns to the U.S. team.
Joe Scally | 22 | Borussia Mönchengladbach
Scally was one of the players conspicuous by his absence at the Gold Cup, but his experience — he has made more than 120 Bundesliga appearances — is difficult to overlook. That said, his lack of impact going forward means he could find himself under pressure from any one of the young crew of full backs who have suited up for the Americans in the past year.
Caleb Wiley | 20 | Watford (on loan from Chelsea)
Wiley wasn’t included in the Gold Cup, but his numbers last year on loan with Watford showed marked improvement on the defensive side of the ball with both his duel and aerial percentage over 60%. While Wiley was impactful in the attacking third during his days with Atlanta United, that hasn’t been in the case with Watford, albeit in a small sample size of 10 games. His second season with the Hornets will give him an opportunity to show off more of his ability in that area.
Midfielders (5)
Tyler Adams | 26 | AFC Bournemouth
Adams looked a bit off his game at the Gold Cup, particularly in the final, although it’s unclear how much the foot injury that kept him on the bench early in the tournament was bothering him. That said, Adams remains one of the key U.S. players and if healthy — no guarantee given his injury history — he’ll be on the roster next summer.
Weston McKennie | 26 | Juventus
The Juventus man looked well short of his best at the Nations League in March, and with the Club World Cup occupying him for the summer, he didn’t get a chance to take part at the Gold Cup. When he’s at top form, though, McKennie is a two-way force who is also a threat on set pieces. One would expect him to be on the roster next summer, but Pochettino has let it be known that reputations will count for little, and McKennie will need to prove once again that he deserves to be in the starting XI.
Johnny Cardoso | 23 | Atlético Madrid
Cardoso remains an enigma. At club level, he’s proved to be a player that can knit the game together from a deep-lying position, so much so that Atlético manager Diego Simeone made it a priority to bring Cardoso to his side this summer. But with the U.S., the midfielder continues to confound. Injury prevented Cardoso from having any kind of impact at the Gold Cup and he remains a solid squad pick for now, but at some point, he’ll need to start producing for the U.S.
Luca de la Torre | 27 | San Diego FC
De la Torre made the most of his chance at the Gold Cup, although he looked to have worn down physically by the end of the tournament. The San Diego midfielder’s ability to keep possession on a team that at times struggles in that regard is a valuable trait to have. His spot seems a bit vulnerable, however, and he’ll need to keep excelling at club level.
Tanner Tessmann | 23 | Lyon
Tessmann was another head-scratching omission earlier this summer, given that he seemed to have won Pochettino over during the early days of his tenure. After getting acclimated to Ligue 1 last season, Tessmann’s size and skill give him the tools to excel. This season he’ll need to take the next step forward in his career, the better to convince Pochettino that he deserves to be with the full team.
Attackers (4)
Christian Pulisic | 26 | AC Milan
The only question surrounding Pulisic is the extent to which his relationship with Pochettino needs to be mended after he publicly backed the U.S. manager into a corner over his offer to play in two friendlies last summer. The reality is there’s too much at stake for a rapprochement not to happen.
Tim Weah | 25 | Marseille
Weah provides the USMNT with pace, a trait lacking in much of the rest of the roster. A change in clubs ahead of a World Cup is always a risky proposition, but assuming Weah has a chance to take on a bigger role with a club that usually finds itself near the top of the Ligue 1 table, the move represents an opportunity to grow his game.
Malik Tillman | 23 | Bayer Leverkusen
Tillman was another player who benefited from an extended run at the Gold Cup, even as he became a target for physical play by opponents. Now he’s taking a big step up at club level, moving to German powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven. Tillman still has a tendency to hang his head during times of struggle, but his attacking talent is undeniable. That said, there are still a few players to move past in order to make the starting XI when the full team is together.
Diego Luna | 21 | Real Salt Lake
Luna has become a Pochettino favorite given his creativity, toughness and ability to play out of tight spaces. He popped up for some vital goals too, including two in the Gold Cup semifinal triumph over Guatemala. He isn’t resting on his laurels, having already matched the eight goals he scored last season with Real Salt Lake. A difficult Gold Cup final against Mexico showed there’s still room for growth.
Forwards (5)
Folarin Balogun | 24 | AS Monaco
An injury-riddled campaign that included shoulder surgery meant that Balogun hasn’t suited up for the USMNT at all in 2025, but with no other U.S. forward stepping up to claim the starting spot, Balogun is still — marginally — the front-runner. The U.S. will need to do a better job of exploiting Balogun’s ability to get in behind defenses.
Ricardo Pepi | 22 | PSV Eindhoven
Pepi is another U.S. forward who was felled by injury during the last club season, with knee surgery ending his season prematurely. With longtime club foil Luuk de Jong know having left PSV for FC Porto, there should be more of an opportunity for Pepi to get playing time with the Dutch giants. That could be enough for a player who just missed out on the 2022 World Cup to become mainstay with the USMNT.
2:17
Pepi reflects on ‘really painful’ layoff as return nears
Ricardo Pepi looks back on his five-month injury absence as he prepares to return to PSV in time for the new season.
Josh Sargent | 25 | Norwich City
It’s a familiar tale with these forwards: Sargent’s club form also hasn’t yet translated to international level. His last goal for the U.S. was in 2019, and he has made 16 appearances without netting since the start of 2020. After turning down a move to Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, Sargent looks set to spend another season in the English Championship, where he’s had success in the past, but is Pochettino willing to give Sargent another chance?
Patrick Agyemang | 24 | Derby County
Agyemang showed flashes of ability in the Gold Cup, but there are also parts of his game — primarily his touch — that look raw. Now he’s headed over to England where his game will be held to an even higher standard. Pochettino likes Agyemang’s size, and the U.S. will need a physically imposing striker on the roster.
Haji Wright | 27 | Coventry City
Wright is another player set to spend time in the English Championship, and he’ll be looking to improve on the 12 goals he scored last season. His versatility in being able to play on the wing could be what cements his place on the ’26 roster.
Missing the cut
Patrick Schulte | Goalkeeper | 24 | Columbus Crew
An untimely injury forced Schulte off the Gold Cup roster, otherwise it might have been him getting time in the tournament instead of Freese. With other keepers such as Steffen getting back into form, the window of opportunity looks to be closing for Schulte.
Auston Trusty | Center back | 26 | Celtic
Trusty is one of those players where you wonder why he hasn’t been given more of a chance with the U.S., given that he has both Premier League and UEFA Champions League experience. To be clear, not all of those experiences were positive, and includes a relegation with Sheffield United, but Trusty was a steady contributor during Celtic’s double-winning campaign in 2024-25, and at age 26, he’s entering his prime years. He’ll need to dazzle in the Champions League if he’s to really catch Pochettino’s eye.
Max Arfsten | Full back | 24 | Columbus Crew
Arfsten was something of a project for Pochettino at the Gold Cup, being asked to play left back when he had been a wingback with Columbus with a remit to get forward. As such, Arfsten struggled defensively early in the tournament, but got better with each game. He even tallied his first U.S. goal against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals. If he can continue his defensive improvement, he may yet get on the final roster.
Alex Freeman | Full back | 20 | Orlando City SC
At age 20, Freeman has a high upside, and held up well at the Gold Cup. He faces a bit of a logjam at right back behind Dest and Scally, but his steady defensive play as well as his ability to get forward could see him make a late challenge for the final roster. If not, he figures to get chances later in his career.
Yunus Musah | Midfielder | 22 | AC Milan
How the mighty have fallen. Once part of the vaunted “MMA” midfield with McKennie and Adams, Musah has seen his stock fall for both club and country. Last season Musah fell out of favor at Milan, and his appearances under Pochettino saw him deployed as a wingback rather than his usual spot in the center of midfield. Musah asked out of the Gold Cup for personal reasons. A settled club situation will aid Musah’s way back, with Napoli and Nottingham Forest reportedly interested, but new Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has experimented with Musah in multiple positions. His time at San Siro might not be over yet.
Alejandro Zendejas | Attacker | 27 | América
Zendejas’ omission is puzzling given his form for América, for whom he scored seven goals in 19 league and playoff appearances during last spring’s Clausura. At this stage, Zendejas looks very much on the outside of the roster, although an injury or two in the right part of the field could change his circumstances.
Gio Reyna | Attacker | 22 | Borussia Dortmund
Reyna’s descent from supernova prospect to nearly forgotten man is well documented. It’s wild to think that just 17 months ago he was the MVP of the Concacaf Nations League. But for Reyna, his path to a 2026 World Cup roster spot is all about his club situation. If he can get out of Dortmund and land in a spot where he can get playing time, then there’s hope. Otherwise, next summer’s World Cup will pass him by.
Sebastian Berhalter | Midfielder | 24 | Vancouver Whitecaps
Berhalter had his ups and downs at the Gold Cup, but showed improvement over the course of the tournament, and was especially effective on set pieces. That said, he’s another performer who has a lot of players to climb over if he’s going to get into the full roster. It seems a step too far at the moment, but given the progress he’s made in the past year, he can’t be written off completely.
Damion Downs | Forward | 21 | Southampton
Downs is another forward who offers up impressive size and strength. Those traits will be put to good use in the English Championship with Southampton. Downs would seem to be in direct competition with Agyemang, and with the latter player now with Derby (not to mention Sargent at Norwich) there will be direct comparisons in terms of their performances.
