The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 72 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 announcing his final roster on May 26 ahead of the summer competition. With the March international window now behind us, Pochettino should have a better idea of who will be in his roster, and who will be out.

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, central midfield positions, and in defense.

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, Chris Brady

Matt Freese split time with Matt Turner during the March window, but in my eyes, the No. 1 job is his.

Freese delivered a solid showing against Portugal, helping the USMNT avoid a much larger margin of defeat. The NYCFC No. 1 is continuing to play weekly in MLS and overall looks to give the USMNT a calmer look with him in between the posts.

Turner is a veteran option and should be the No. 2 while Chris Brady is one for the future.

Missed the Cut – Diego Kochen, Zack Steffen, Jonathan Klinsmann, Patrick Schulte, Roman Celentano.

Defenders

Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Auston Trusty, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, 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. While he is much older than the other center backs in the pool, I think you need a player like Ream in a major competition, whether he is starting or not.

Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie seem to have shifted themselves into the mix for the No. 3 centerback position, while FC Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson will also fight over the next two months to be in the mix. Robinson’s recent injury forced him to miss both March matches though, but I think he has enough time to get himself back to 100% health.

Antonee Robinson is the USMNT’s No. 1 left back option, despite his up-and-down role with Fulham this season. Robinson featured in both matches in March and even picked up an assist against Belgium on Saturday.

Max Arfsten should be the No. 2 left back, given the fact he owned the job for most of 2025. Arfsten is a talented attacking player and could even be a bench option once the World Cup comes.

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 has remained sidelined with PSV due to his recent injury but should be back playing again later this month.

I think it’s hard to leave Dest out of the World Cup roster, unless he finds himself back on the sidelines by season’s end.

Alex Freeman and Joe Scally will be fighting for a spot as well, but Freeman’s recent window might give him the leg up. Scally did not look that impressive during the March window, where Freeman looked calm and composed.

Right now, Freeman has the leg up on Scally, but that could change by the end of the club season in Europe.

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 was back available for Bournemouth before a small issue forced him to miss the March window.

Adams is one of the most important players in the squad, if not the most important, making him a lock to be on the roster.

Weston McKennie’s versatility makes him another key figure in the squad. McKennie scored against Belgium and even came close to adding more to his name in that match. In addition to his positive work rate, McKennie is a leader on the field, and hard to keep out of the starting lineup.

Malik Tillman also was quietly solid during the March window and didn’t seem phased by the level of opposition that Belgium and Portugal possessed. Tillman is a creative player and could become even more important if Christian Pulisic does not get back on track.

Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter started alongside one another against Portugal and rarely put a foot wrong in the match. Both are continuing to feature more and more under Pochettino, a testament to their development as players.

I think it’s hard to keep both players off the final roster, especially given their growth over the past 12-16 months.

Cristian Roldan and Tanner Tessmann are also trending upward heading into the summer. Roldan continues to be available for whenever Pochettino needs him and also brings veteran experience to the mix.

Tessmann played 109 minutes during the March window and similar to Tillman, did not look overmatched much in the two matches. I expect him to finish strong at Lyon before making his way into the World Cup roster.

Brenden Aaronson may have played the fewest minutes of any outfield player in the March window, but he still has a role to play in Pochettino’s squad. Aaronson’s work rate, defensive pressing, and pestering as an attacking midfielder will be key to have for the World Cup.

Gio Reyna, Diego Luna, and Johnny Cardoso are all on the bubble for me, but I don’t think they have done enough to be in the final roster. Reyna was limited during the March window and still hasn’t gotten back on track at club level.

Cardoso left the March camp with an injury and although did a decent job against Belgium, doesn’t have tons of time left to impress.

Musah is a long shot at this stage, but could potentially force his way in if injuries do occur elsewhere.

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.

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