1 week ago
Club América winger Alejandro Zendejas is connected nan United States’ 26-man roster for this summer’s World Cup, while Lyon protect midfielder Tanner Tessmann is not included. The selections are nan astir notable caller accusation gleaned from caput coach Mauricio Pochettino’s afloat World Cup roster, which was obtained by nan Guardian and is authentic according to aggregate sources pinch knowledge of Pochettino’s selections.
The roster confirms Zendejas’s action and Tessmann’s omission, on pinch nan inclusion of Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Gio Reyna and nan omission of Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, some attacking midfielders, choices that were first reported by nan Athletic. US Soccer declined to remark connected nan roster, which will beryllium officially announced Tuesday astatine a nationally televised arena successful New York City.
Reyna has been included contempt playing only 520 minutes for Mönchengladbach this season, though he featured successful nan club’s last 5 convention matches. Pochettino has many times praised nan 23-year-old and singled him retired arsenic a subordinate he’s consenting to see sloppy of nine form.
During nan 2022 World Cup, Reyna recovered himself astatine nan halfway of 1 of nan astir melodramatic and bizarre moments successful men’s nationalist squad history, having astir been sent location from nan tourney for behavioral issues. Not agelong afterwards, Reyna’s parents became ensnared successful a prolonged nationalist falling out pinch US coach Gregg Berhalter. The business has formed a protector complete Reyna successful nan years that followed.
Sebastian Berhalter, nan boy of nan erstwhile USMNT coach, is besides connected nan roster. The 25-year-old ne'er represented nan US astatine nan younker world levels, but forced his measurement into Pochettino’s plans connected nan backmost of his sizeable improvement since joining nan Vancouver Whitecaps successful 2022. Berhalter made nan MLS Best XI past twelvemonth arsenic nan Whitecaps’ main orchestrator en way to nan club’s first MLS Cup berth and first tally to nan Concacaf Champions Cup final. Berhalter besides gives this squad a dead-ball specialist, capable to consistently spot area kicks successful vulnerable areas.
Despite being a cardinal contributor passim nan USMNT’s buildup to nan World Cup, Luna did not make nan roster. He was nan taxable of predominant praise from Pochettino for his aggressiveness connected some sides of nan shot and scored 4 goals successful 17 appearances successful 2025, emerging arsenic a breakout star. Despite missing March campy arsenic he returned from an injury, Luna has returned successful awesome shape pinch 4 goals and 2 assists successful 7 MLS appearances (six starts) since 1 April.
The 22-year-old besides featured wide successful promotional pushes up of nan tournament, including a glitzy advertisement by tournament authorities holder Fox. A spokesperson for nan federation said earlier this week that Pochettino had thing to do pinch nan players selected to look successful those advertisements, immoderate of which were produced months ago.
Luna has been navigating nagging knee and muscular issues successful 2026 but was still expected to beryllium included successful Pochettino’s plans. Less astonishing is nan omission of Luna’s RSL teammate Zavier Gozo. Gozo has yet to look for nan elder USMNT but was connected past year’s roster for nan U20 World Cup and has since been outstanding for RSL, which led to speculation he mightiness beryllium included.
The 28-year-old Zendejas is among Liga MX’s astir vulnerable forwards, pinch 12 goals and 7 assists successful 2,443 minutes to lead Club América’s attack. Despite his form, Pochettino has given Zendejas conscionable 139 minutes crossed six appearances, pinch his astir caller displacement coming connected 9 September against Japan.
Tessmann, 24, suffered a musculus strain astatine Lyon 2 weeks agone but was still expected to beryllium included successful nan roster. It’s not instantly clear whether Tessman’s removal is injury-related. The FC Dallas academy merchandise appeared successful 29 convention matches for Lyon this season, starting 22 of them.
Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris was besides omitted. The 24-year-old has been everpresent pinch his nine and featured heavy successful nan USMNT’s March friendlies against Portugal and Belgium. Morris and Tessmann seemed much apt to make nan trim aft Johnny Cardoso’s high-grade ankle injury earlier this month.
As it stands, location are only 4 cardinal aliases protect midfielders connected Pochettino’s squad, pinch Weston McKennie joining Berhalter, Cristian Roldan and Tyler Adams. McKennie had seemed apt to play further upfield aft his attacking midfield deployment successful nan March window.
The protect corps has gained nan other number, pinch 10 defenders picked to divided clip among 4 aliases 5 starting slots. Center-back Chris Richards is connected nan roster aft Crystal Palace’s head announced he would miss nan team’s convention finale this play pinch torn ligaments successful his ankle. Missing among nan cardinal defenders is Noahkai Banks, nan dual-national who near his world position successful limbo and declined a US call-up successful March arsenic he weighed liking from Germany.
Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady joins Matt Freese and Matt Turner connected nan roster. Brady, 22, is among nan astir in-form keepers successful MLS and has been called into nationalist squad campy respective times but ne'er capped. Brady is nan presumed No 3 down Freese and Turner.
In total, 13 members of Pochettino’s squad person made their 2nd World Cup roster, pinch nan different half is comprised of first-time selections.
The USMNT will play their last 2 matches anterior to nan World Cup against Senegal connected 31 May and Germany connected 6 June. Managers must taxable their rosters to Fifa by 1 June and are only capable to alteration their squads aft officially naming nan 26-man roster successful “exceptional cases”, a loosely defined condition which must beryllium approved by Fifa’s aesculapian committee.
(First-time World Cup selections indicated pinch an asterisk, caps and goals listed successful parentheses)
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)
Midfielders (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)
Strikers (3)
Folarin Balogun* (AS Monaco, 25/8), Ricardo Pepi* (PSV, 35/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)
