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A full 24 matches into the Mauricio Pochettino era, we have arrived at the moment of truth. The US men’s national team’s 2026 World Cup roster will be named on 26 May, and the team’s two recent friendlies (a 5-2 loss to Belgium and a 2-0 loss to Portgual) have given Pochettino plenty to think about as he makes his selection.
We here at the Guardian have made our picks as well – based a little on our own preference, but still within the realm of what Pochettino may do. Separately, the three of us made our 26-man rosters. Any player who we agreed on got the “on the squad” designation. Anyone we differed on is listed as “up for debate”, with other notable exclusions listed as “out of the picture”.
Goalkeepers
On the squad: Matt Freese, Matt Turner
Up for debate: Patrick Schulte, Chris Brady
Out of the picture: Roman Celentano, Jonathan Klinsmann
Pochettino said Turner’s World Cup experience would be valuable as a starter or as a backup, but all indications are the starting nod will go to Freese, who has been between the sticks for most of the Pochettino era. AA
So we’re basically debating who will be the third goalkeeper, whom we’ll almost certainly never see take the field this summer. Both Matts are tournament-tested, but so is Schulte after backstopping the USA at the 2024 Olympics, including a start against host France. I’m a bit concerned that Schulte has failed to save every one of the 15 penalties he’s faced as a pro, but Freese is the shootout specialist anyway. JR
Brady has very quietly put together a very good season thus far for the Chicago Fire. I also think it’s worth mentioning that Schulte only made this last window when Celentano withdrew as an injury precaution. Even writing this blurb, I am mostly struck by just how shallow the talent pool is at keeper. I need a hug. PM
Defenders
On the squad: Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream; Antonee Robinson, Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest
Up for debate: Joe Scally, Miles Robinson, Noahkai Banks, Auston Trusty
Out of the picture: Tristan Blackmon, Nathan Harriel, Cameron Carter-Vickers
I’m a little surprised I was the only one of us three to pick Miles Robinson and Scally. Robinson has had a fair amount of injury struggles but has been a consistent call-up for Pochettino when fit. Scally’s ability to play right-back in a four-man backline and right center-back in a three-man backline is a big point in his favor, with Pochettino liable to utilize both looks at the World Cup. And at the risk of picking on a colleague (sorry, Jeff), Banks’s selection seems entirely unrealistic given his stated ambivalence about whether to turn out for the US or Germany. AA
You can accuse me of wishful thinking here, with Banks’s international future very much an open question after he declined a March call-up. The fact is that if he wants to continue representing the nation with which he played in the youth ranks, he’d be a needed upgrade over alternativesk. Scally would be a natural fifth full-back, but he’d be exactly that: third-choice in both roles. Pochettino tried Trusty at left-back and Tim Weah at right-back in March, so it feels like those spots are covered without the Mönchengladbach man. JR
Pochettino made things abundantly clear after Trusty’s 90-minute shift against Portugal on Saturday. “I’m very happy with Auston, I think he’s got a great profile,” he told reporters, going on to praise his performance over the whole of the match, saying Trusty did a lot to include himself in the conversation to “be in the 26-player group”. To me, that says that if Trusty can stay healthy and in-form, he’s a fairly sure bet. PM
Midfielders
On the squad: Tyler Adams, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann, Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso
Up for debate: None
Out of the picture: Aidan Morris, James Sands
We were perfectly aligned on these selections, hence the “out of the picture” category for other players Pochettino called in over the last year or so. Sands’s ankle injury and subsequent surgery will put him up against it to be fit for the World Cup, and unfortunately there are just too many other good options available. He’d be in the mix for me if fully fit. AA
The midfield did well to neutralize Vitinha in the first half against Portugal, and I credit Berhalter tremendously for that. The Vancouver midfielder also was better involved in the final third, giving José Sá his most difficult save from outside the box. I still think Tessmann may be Adams’s best complement, another capable defensive screener with excellent instincts and decision-making. It helps that he can drop back into the defensive line with ease. JR
This is the area of the pitch where we learned the least this window and, frankly, that’s probably a good thing. PM
Attacking midfielders / wingers:
On the squad: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Malik Tillman, Diego Luna
Up for debate: Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson
Out of the picture: Timothy Tillman, Jack McGlynn
I believe Reyna has matured since the well-reported mis-steps of 2022. It’s clear he loves playing for the US national team and with this particular group. On his day, he has a level of attacking vision that is unmatched in the US pool. But the simple fact of the matter is he is severely short of match fitness and there do not appear to be a glut of minutes on the horizon for him at Borussia Mönchengladbach. If that changes in a big way between now and May, sure, bring him. But for now, I’d rather bring a sharper player with fewer question marks about his output, and that’s Aaronson. AA
Coming out of the last window, it’s becoming clearer that Pochettino is hellbent on ensuring that if the US do well at their home World Cup, they do so as the aggressors rather than by pragmatically bunkering and countering. If you’re going to have any chance of doing that, you need your best on-ball operator. You need Reyna. Aaronson just doesn’t fit that approach as well, and he earned the fewest minutes of any field player in March (12). JR
On the one hand, we have Pochettino praising Reyna for most of the window and we have Gio offering effusive praise for his head coach, his teammates and the program as a whole. On the other hand, we have Pochettino giving him just 32 minutes over the two March games. Reyna is very, very far from being a 90-minute player, so maybe Pochettino is simply conditioning him as a supersub. Either way, it feels obvious enough to me that Reyna will probably be the one player exempt from Pochettino’s insistence that his players be playing key roles for their club sides. If he leaves him off the 26-man, well, let’s prepare ourselves for the inevitable social media meltdown. PM
Strikers:
On the squad: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi
Up for debate: Haji Wright, Patrick Agyemang
Out of the picture: Josh Sargent, Damion Downs, Brian White
I don’t think there’s much separating Wright and Agyemang except for versatility, but versatility is important. Wright’s ability to play out wide or as a central striker could prove useful, especially given the relative lack of options among the true wingers in this group. AA
Agyemang once told me he feels more like a winger than a striker, and only really began grasping the art of line-leading in 2024. Pochettino gave him some minutes at left wing late against Portugal, while Berhalter shifted left of center after Pulisic subbed off in the same game. Couple that with Pepi’s pick-and-pass assist against Belgium, and I think Wright suffered a rare injury at the wrong time. He was my hardest cut of this exercise.
JR
Maybe it’s that I want Agyemang’s fairytale run from Division-III college soccer, to MLS and to the Championship to end with a World Cup appearance. Maybe it’s his sensational club form, or the fact that he did well with his only real chance against Belgium, albeit a gifted one. Maybe it’s the fact that his frame, height and eye for goal make him an ideal late-game sub for when the US will inevitably be chasing a goal. For all of those reasons combined, if I’m Pochettino, I’m putting him on the plane. PM
Our picks in full:
Alexander Abnos
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese, Matt Turner, Patrick Schulte. Defenders: Antonee Robinson, Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Joe Scally; Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Miles Robinson. Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann, Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso; Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie, Diego Luna, Tim Weah, Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson; Forwards: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright
Pablo Maurer
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese, Matt Turner, Chris Brady. Defenders: Antonee Robinson, Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest; Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Auston Trusty. Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann, Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso; Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie, Diego Luna, Tim Weah, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna. Forwards: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Patrick Agyemang, Haji Wright
Jeff Rueter
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese, Matt Turner, Patrick Schulte. Defenders: Antonee Robinson, Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Auston Trusty, Noahkai Banks. Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann, Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso; Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie, Diego Luna, Tim Weah, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna; Forwards: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Patrick Agyemang
