By OkayGoal 
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 113 days and while it still feels like the tournament is ample time away, the clock has continued ticking for the U.S. men’s national team.
Mauricio Pochettino will have plenty of roster decisions to make before next summer’s competition begins, while the program itself only has one international window left to prepare. A lot could still change by June too, pending injuries and form to many of the players in the current pool.
Projecting the 2026 World Cup roster is a bit simpler than it was in 2022, given that many key faces of the program have developed into important players. From Christian Pulisic to Chris Richards to Tyler Adams, many of the USMNT’s main figures are in the primes of their careers and should be expected to play large roles in the squad.
However, several positions are still up for grabs, including the starting No. 9 job, the right back position, and the central midfield positions.
With all that in mind, here is a projected 26-man roster we could see represent the United States at the 2026 World Cup:
Goalkeepers
Matt Freese, Matt Turner, Patrick Schulte
Matt Freese has continued to play the No. 1 goalkeeper under Mauricio Pochettino and bearing a major chance in performances, I don’t see that changing. Freese delivered a solid showing at the CONCACAF Gold Cup and was rarely troubled during the October and November windows.
Matt Turner and Patrick Schulte would be my two choices behind Freese if the tournament started tomorrow. Both Turner and Schulte will have a half-season of MLS play under their belts before the World Cup continues and overall look to have a leg up on other MLS and European options.
Missed the Cut – Diego Kochen, Zack Steffen, Jonathan Klinsmann, Chris Brady.
Defenders
Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Auston Trusty, Miles Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Antonee Robinson, Max Arfsten.
Going into the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it was unknown who Gregg Berhalter would go with at the starting centerback positions. That doesn’t seem to be the case for 2026.
Chris Richards looks to have propelled himself into the USMNT’s No. 1 centerback over the past season-and-a-half, especially given the consistent playing time at Crystal Palace. Richards has become a strong one-on-one defender and overall is tough to beat in the air. I fully expect Richards to be the face of the USMNT backline even heading into 2030.
Tim Ream’s veteran presence has kept him in the USMNT picture under Pochettino. Ream’s calmness and composure has led to him teaming up with Richards among others on multiple occasions this year. Bearing injury or form, I’d expect Ream to be in the USMNT’s opening day XI next to Richards.
Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie seem to have shifted themselves into the mix for the No. 3 centerback position, while Celtic’s Auston Trusty was part of the November camp. All three defenders featured over the past two matches and will be jostling with each other over the next few months.
Cameron Carter-Vickers’ recent Achilles’ injury will hamper his chances, but should he get back to fitness next spring, he could be back among the options. However, it looks very likely at this point in time.
Noahkai Banks is also up for consideration given his productive Bundesliga season with Augsburg but it seems hard to see him jumping over experienced centerbacks in the squad.
Antonee Robinson is the USMNT’s No. 1 left back option, and despite a slow start to his Premier League season last summer, the veteran defender is back available for Fulham. A healthy Robinson is key heading into the World Cup, but should a setback arise, Max Arfsten could be set to jump into the left back role once again.
John Tolkin featured during the November window and could be in the No. 3 spot right now at left back.
At right back, Sergino Dest’s versatility and explosiveness does give him an edge over the options in the pool, but the main question is, can he stay healthy? Dest featured in both matches during the November window and brings the most in terms of offensive and defensive abilities.
Alex Freeman and Joe Scally are two players that will compete for the starting right back job, while Freeman has boosted his stock in recent months. The now-Villarreal defender scored twice against Uruguay while Scally started against Paraguay.
Right now, Freeman has the leg up on Scally, but a lot could change with both on their respective benches abroad.
Missed The Cut – Noahkai Banks, Cameron Carter-Vickers (Injury), John Tolkin, Joe Scally, Marlon Fossey, DeJuan Jones, Nate Harriel, Walker Zimmerman, Tristan Blackmon, George Campbell.
Midfielders
Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Malik Tillman, Tanner Tessmann, Cristian Roldan, Sebastian Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson.
Pochettino will have plenty of tough decisions to make in his midfield.
One tough decision he won’t have to make is regarding Tyler Adams though. Adams is the USMNT’s leader in midfield and he remains very much so heading into the summer. Despite missing two months due to an MCL injury, Adams is now back and ready to get back to his best for Bournemouth ahead of the March international window.
Weston McKennie’s versatility could see him used in a number of different roles. McKennie was used as a wide midfielder during the October window and could even play as a wing back. He also does remain important as a central midfield option, especially with goals and assists coming regularly for him at Juventus.
Tanner Tessmann has quickly become an important midfielder for the USMNT, given his increased role at Ligue 1 side Lyon. Tessmann’s range and awareness has led to him starting week in and week out at Lyon despite suffering a slight injury hiccup in the fall/winter.
It will be curious to see whether or not Tessmann is a starter by next summer, but he certainly is a bench option.
In terms of creativity and work rate, Malik Tillman, Aidan Morris, Brenden Aaronson, and Sebastian Berhalter are my four choices to round out the midfield. Tillman’s role with the USMNT has risen over the last year, which has led to his club move to Bayer Leverkusen.
He’s had a solid season in Germany, showing glimpses of why the club paid a large fee to PSV for him.
Aaronson brings veteran experience to the midfield, especially in comparison to guys like Gio Reyna, Johnny Cardoso, and others. With the goal contributions increasing and performances improving at Leeds United, expect Aaronson to be among the final guys fighting for roster spots.
Berhalter enjoyed a positive 2025 for club and country and could very well take over set-piece duty if he jumps back into the squad next March. The key thing for him is staying fit, especially with an early start to the season in CONCACAF Champions Cup action.
Cristian Roldan delivered a busy year for club and country in 2025 and was key in the October window. Similar to Berhalter, it will be interesting to see if Roldan can stay fit and injury-free.
Reyna, Cardoso, and Yunus Musah are three guys that are on the bubble and could force their way in with strong second half of the seasons abroad. Cardoso’s tough start at Atletico Madrid hurt his fall and looks to have trickled into the new year.
Morris missed time in the fall due to a knee injury, but is now back to playing a key role for Middlesbrough during the second half of the season. He is playing week in and week out, which will be key in him fending off others for a roster spot.
Musah and Reyna, two of the key names from 2022, are on the outside at this time. Musah has found playing time hard to come by at Atalanta while Reyna has missed time due to a muscle injury this winter.
Both still have chances of making it, but those are getting slimmer by the week.
Missed The Cut – Diego Luna, Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah, Gianluca Busio, Paxten Aaronson, Luca De La Torre, Johnny Cardoso, Djordje Mihailovic, Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan (Injury), Ben Cremaschi, Caden Clark, Brian Gutierrez, Timmy Tillman, James Sands.
Forwards
Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright, Folarin Balogun, Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi.
The increased roster size from 23 to 26 players should help Pochettino in bringing in a few extra forwards for the competition.
Christian Pulisic should be the first name on the forward list, given his importance to the program and his final-third abilities. Pulisic’s blistering first-half of the season with AC Milan hasn’t carried over to the winter, but he does remain important for the Rossoneri this spring.
A healthy and confident Pulisic could be vital to how far the USMNT goes.
Tim Weah’s versatility should see him at either right wing or right wing back. Despite playing week in and week out at Marseille, Weah had a quiet October window and was not named in the November roster.
His club performances have been pretty strong throughout the season, but he’ll have to keep it up over the next three months.
The No. 9 race will be tough for Pochettino to break down, but I see Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright battling for the starting job right now. Balogun scored in both of the October and November windows and overall might have an edge over the other forwards in the pool due to his consistency when called in.
He most recently eclipsed 10+ goals this season with Monaco, scoring twice in UEFA Champions League play.
Wright would get the nod over Ricardo Pepi at this time due to Pepi’s arm injury and Wright’s positive run for Coventry City. However, plenty could change with four months of club action left to go.
Should Pepi come back fit and get back amongst the goals for PSV, he could leapfrog Wright in the pecking order.
Patrick Agyemang would round out the attacking options for me as he continues to deliver a successful first EFL Championship campaign. Agyemang’s physicality makes him hard to keep off the roster, especially given the fact that Wright could play out wide as well.
Missed The Cut – Josh Sargent, Daryl Dike, Damion Downs, Indiana Vassilev.
What do you think of this roster projection? Who is on the squad that you are happy to see included? Who is the one player you would add to the team that isn’t among our 26? Who isn’t listed on any of the above lists that you feel absolutely should be mentioned? (We will be adjusting the list to include any players we may have accidentally left off).
Share your thoughts below.