Mauricio Pochettino revealed the United States men's national team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on May 26 in New York City. The squad features 26 players, evenly divided between 13 World Cup debutants and 13 veterans from the 2022 Qatar tournament [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

Captain Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, and Weston McKennie will lead the team on the field. Pulisic plays for AC Milan, Adams recently left Bournemouth, and McKennie is at Juventus [1, 2, 4, 7, 5, 6]. AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun is expected to be a key attacker in Pochettino’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation [1, 4, 5].

Giovanni Reyna made the squad despite limited playing time at Borussia Monchengladbach this season. Alejandro Zendejas earned inclusion after a strong finish at Club América, having been left off the March roster [1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 5]. Missing from the squad due to injury or form were Diego Luna (injured), Tanner Tessmann, and Aidan Morris [1, 3, 4, 5].

Pochettino called it "the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup," adding he faced "very difficult decisions" and thanking the players who missed out. "This group is very focused and ready to give everything they have to represent the United States" [1, 3, 5]. McKennie said the World Cup is "a great opportunity for everyone on the roster and also for the fans who maybe don't know a lot about soccer here in America to feel the passion" [1].

The team launched its World Cup preparations at a new $200 million training facility in Fayetteville, Georgia. Upcoming friendlies include matches against Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Germany on June 6 in Chicago [3, 9, 10, 6].

The United States will open its World Cup campaign on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, facing Paraguay. The team’s other group matches are against Australia on June 19 in Seattle and Turkey on June 25 in Inglewood [1, 3, 6].

Pochettino’s US Soccer contract ends after the World Cup. He has held talks with AC Milan about managing the club next season. US Soccer CEO JT Batson confirmed that monthly succession planning is ongoing and that Pochettino remains focused on preparing the team [11, 9]. Adams said Pochettino stays "fully present with us every single day" [9].

The US team has qualified for 10 prior World Cups, with its best finish third place in 1930. Its current FIFA ranking is 16th [10]. Pochettino and US Soccer legend Alexi Lalas expressed optimism with the phrase, "Why not us?" [10].