Christian Pulisic leads the way as Mauricio Pochettino unveils USMNT’s 26-man World Cup roster

The USMNT is gearing up for a historic 2026 World Cup campaign, returning to center stage as tournament co-hosts alongside Mexico and Canada for the first time since the landmark 1994 tournament. With expectations at an all-time high on home soil, head coach Mauricio Pochettino officially revealed his final 26-man roster, anchored by team talisman Christian Pulisic.

The AC Milan forward is set to be the undisputed face of the program once again, reprising the leading role he played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Stars and Stripes were eliminated in the Round of 16 following a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands.

Pochettino’s attacking arsenal features plenty of in-form firepower, including Coventry City striker Haji Wright, who played a monumental role in guiding his club to Premier League promotion with a spectacular 17-goal campaign. Joining Wright and Pulisic in the final third are dangerous scoring threats Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Alejandro Zendejas.

However, the roster announcement is not without its heartbreak. Chief among the major absences is Atletico Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who was ruled out after suffering a high-grade right ankle sprain accompanied by joint damage and a partial ligament tear.

On the tactical side, Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann stands out as the most prominent healthy snub, missing the tournament entirely due to a direct coaching decision by Pochettino.

Official USMNT 2026 World Cup roster

• Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (NYCFC), 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 Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)
• Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille)
• Forwards: Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Haji Wright (Coventry City), Alejandro Zendejas (Club America)

The USMNT’s World Cup group stage path

The United States enter the tournament securely placed as the top-seeded team in Group D, drawing competitive matchups against Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey.

The host nation’s journey officially kicks off on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with a crucial opening match against Paraguay. The Americans will then travel north to Seattle’s Lumen Field for their second group fixture against Australia on June 19, before returning to Southern California to wrap up the group stage against Turkey on June 25.