Kiley McFadden

With 11 days until kick-off against Paraguay, here’s everything you need to know about the USMNT’s World Cup roster, system, group stage schedule, and realistic expectations for the tournament on home soil.

Mauricio Pochettino named his official 26-man USMNT roster for the 2026 World Cup on May 26, with Christian Pulisic leading the group and notable inclusions like Gio Reyna alongside notable omissions like Diego Luna.

Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, and Johnny Cardoso were among the most significant names left off Pochettino’s 2026 World Cup roster, with injury situations proving the decisive factor in some of the most difficult cuts in recent program history.

Folarin Balogun enters the 2026 World Cup as the USMNT’s most likely starting striker, but injury history and competition from Josh Sargent and Haji Wright make the No. 9 position one of the roster’s most contested and consequential decisions.

The 2026 PGA Championship begins Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, and the central question is whether Cameron Young — three Tour wins this season, the hottest player in the world — can close the deal in a major.

The USMNT’s most consequential World Cup selection isn’t a striker or a midfielder — it’s the goalkeeper. Matt Turner’s experience vs. Matt Freese’s recent form created the most compelling positional debate of Pochettino’s tenure.

Tyler Adams’ comeback from back surgery defined much of the USMNT’s 2025, and the captain’s fitness and form heading into the 2026 World Cup is the single most critical variable in whether Pochettino’s system can function at its ceiling.

Sebastian Berhalter’s scoring debut against Uruguay in November 2025 and subsequent World Cup selection is a story about a player who earned his place on technical merit — not just a story about whose son he is.

Australia arrives at the 2026 World Cup as the opponent that USMNT fans are most inclined to overlook in Group D — which is exactly why the Socceroos could be the most dangerous team on the United States’ group stage schedule.