USA announces World Cup rosterExBulletin

U.S. players pose for a team photo on stage during the U.S. Soccer World Cup roster reveal Tuesday in New York. Adam Hunger/Getty Images .

switch captionAdam Hunger/Getty Images

NEW YORK — Preparation for this summer’s FIFA World Cup kicked off Tuesday with the announcement of the 26-player roster that will represent the United States men’s national soccer team.

The 2026 squad features some of the country’s biggest football stars, including AC Milan striker Christian Pulisic, Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

Players were informed by text message and email on Friday, they said. Then almost all of them – except defender Chris Richards, whose club team Crystal Palace is due to play in the final of a European tournament on Wednesday – flew to New York for a public reveal on stage in front of hundreds of fans and broadcast live on Fox.

“I’m grateful to be in this position. It’s exactly what I want,” Pulisic said. “You only take part in a World Cup in your home country once in your life.”

The tournament begins in just over two weeks, with matches held in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will be the first time World Cup matches have been held in the United States 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.

“When you think about the 2026 World Cup, you think about pressure,” said Christian Roldan, the Seattle Sounders midfielder who made the team in 2022 but did not appear in any matches. “But with pressure comes privilege. We have the opportunity to really motivate and inspire the next generation at this World Cup. And I think everyone takes that responsibility to heart.”

United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks during a press conference following the announcement of the United States’ roster for the World Cup in New York on Tuesday. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images .

switch captionTimothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Perhaps the most surprising inclusion is Alejandro Zendejas, a talented striker for Mexican side Club América who had earned few minutes under Pochettino and hadn’t played for the USMNT since last September.

The most prominent snubs are Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann and Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, a fan favorite who appeared in much of the marketing around the USMNT ahead of the World Cup. Both Tessmann and Luna struggled with injuries this spring, but were expected to be available for the World Cup.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino has experimented with various formations since being hired in 2024 to lead the USMNT this summer. With a World Cup on home soil, hopes are high for the best result in a generation: the United States last reached the quarter-finals in 2002 and has failed to advance past the round of 16 since then.

“We have worked very hard for a year and a half or more to try to get to this moment,” Pochettino said. “It’s impossible to be fair to everyone. But I think we made the best decision to be competitive and try to win.”

Half the team represented the United States at the World Cup in Qatar four years ago. That includes the only three players who have scored a goal in this tournament: forwards Pulisic, Tim Weah and Haji Wright, who came off the bench and scored the only score in the USMNT’s 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the round of 16.

Fans cheer as the United States’ World Cup roster is revealed Tuesday in New York. Adam Hunger/Getty Images .

switch captionAdam Hunger/Getty Images

Meanwhile, 13 players will represent the United States at the World Cup for the first time, including PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi, who was widely considered the biggest snub of 2022.

The El Paso native — one of two Mexican-Americans on the roster — was home in Texas running errands with his father on Friday when he received the message that he had made the team. “My first reaction was a lot of chills going through my body. I couldn’t really believe it. Then I showed it to my dad and he had the same reaction,” Pepi said.

“Every step of my career so far has helped me,” he added – even the snub of 2022. “Everything fuels that fire in you and prepares you for moments like this.”

Other notable debuts include defenders Richards and Miles Robinson, both of whom are out in 2022 due to injury.

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)

Midfielder (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)

Attackers (3): Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, 25/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 35/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)

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