Updated May 26, 2026 at 4:24 PM EDT
NEW YORK — The run-up to this summer's FIFA World Cup kicked into high gear Tuesday with the announcement of the 26 players who will represent the U.S. men's national soccer team.
The 2026 squad includes some of the country's biggest soccer stars, including AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic, Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.
Perhaps the most surprising inclusion is Alejandro Zendejas, a talented forward for the Mexican team Club América who had earned limited minutes under Pochettino and had not played for the USMNT since last September.
The prominent snubs are Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann and Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, a fan favorite who has appeared in much of the marketing around the USMNT ahead of the World Cup. Both Tessmann and Luna had been dealing with injuries this spring but were thought to be available for the World Cup.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino has experimented with a variety of lineups since he was hired in 2024 to steer the USMNT through this summer.
"We are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup," Pochettino said in a news release. "These were very difficult decisions, and we are thankful to all the players who were part of this journey. This group is very focused and ready to give everything they have to represent the United States and deliver performances that will make the fans and the country proud."
Half of the squad represented the U.S. at the World Cup in Qatar four years ago. That includes the only three players who scored a goal in that tournament: forwards Pulisic, Tim Weah and Haji Wright, who came off the bench and made the only score of the USMNT's 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the knockout round.
Meanwhile, 13 players will represent the U.S. in the World Cup for the first time — including the El Paso native and PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi, who was widely regarded the biggest snub in 2022. Other notable debuts include defenders Chris Richards and Miles Robinson, both of whom missed out in 2022 due to injury.
The tournament begins in just over two weeks, with games hosted in 16 cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
It will mark the first time that World Cup games are being held in the U.S. since 1994, when the tournament helped spark Americans' interest in soccer, leading to the formation of Major League Soccer and widespread participation in youth soccer.
Full USMNT World Cup roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 0 caps/0 goals), Matt Freese (New York City, 14/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution, 53/0)
Defenders (10): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew, 18/1), Sergiño Dest (PSV, 37/2), Alex Freeman (Villarreal, 15/2), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, 27/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 80/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 36/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 52/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 24/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic, 6/0)
Midfielders (4): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth, 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, 11/1), Weston McKennie (Juventus, 64/12), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders, 45/0)
Attacking midfielders/wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 57/9), Christian Pulisic (Milan, 84/32), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 36/9), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 28/3), Tim Weah (Marseille, 49/7), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América, 13/2)
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, 25/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 35/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)
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