The U.S. men's national team's World Cup roster is finally here, and it includes familiar stars and several surprise omissions.
The 26-man squad features AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, Bournemouth captain Tyler Adams, and Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards — alongside 13 players making their World Cup debuts.
The veterans bring leadership and experience. Adams helped Bournemouth to the club’s best finish in its history, while Richards most recently helped his club to an FA Cup victory last season.
Among the returning stars is Gio Reyna, who was at the center of a high-profile controversy during the 2022 tournament, when his parents publicly clashed with then-coach Gregg Berhalter — ultimately ending a 30-year relationship.
Berhalter’s son, Sebastian, earned his first call-up. He was named to the MLS Best XI last year after leading the Vancouver Whitecaps to their first MLS Cup berth.
The roster leans heavily on defense, with 10 players in defensive roles.
Surprise omissions from the roster include Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann and Middlesbrough’s Aidan Morris, who could have bolstered the nation’s slim midfield options.
Another notable exclusion is Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, who was featured prominently in several USMNT World Cup advertising campaigns.
One possible reason for Luna’s omission could be the inclusion of Club América winger Alejandro Zendejas. Zendejas is among Liga MX’s most dangerous forwards, with 12 goals and seven assists.
The U.S., under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, will open its World Cup campaign June 12 in Los Angeles against Paraguay, travel to Seattle for a June 19 match against Australia, and return to Los Angeles to face Türkiye on June 25 to close out the group stage.
Fans will face hefty prices to attend these matches, with some tickets costing thousands of dollars.
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The full roster can be found below
(First-time World Cup selections are marked with an asterisk)
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady* (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese* (New York City), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Defenders (10): Max Arfsten* (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV), 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 (4): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter* (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)
Attacking midfielders/wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Christian Pulisic (Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Malik Tillman* (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alejandro Zendejas* (Club América)
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun* (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi* (PSV), Haji Wright (Coventry City)
Rosters will be made official on June 1 once submitted to FIFA.
