The Reported USMNT World Cup Squad And What It Says About Pochettino

Here’s the 26-player squad below, according to British outlet that has employed two full-time American-based soccer reporters since earlier this spring. Remember, even if all the names are 100% accurate today, that doesn’t mean they won’t change before June 1 based on potential late-developing injury information and other factors. Leaked USMNT Squad 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) Source: The Guardian As always with these sorts of things, there are a few surprises, among them the omission of defensive midfielder Tanner Tessman and attacker Diego Luna, and the inclusion of attacking midfielders Alejandro Zendejas and Gio Reyna.

With the official information still under embargo, Pochettino obviously has yet to explain the selections publicly. But we can guess several things about his thought process based on the players included. More Questions Than Answers?

One of the most striking realizations is just how much this list of names cuts against the grain of the Pochettino’s regular squad selections over his one-and-a-half years in charge. The simplest conclusion is that those selections simply haven’t yielded the results he hoped for. That’s the easiest way to explain how a player like Luna, who has made 17 appearances and 10 starts for Pochettino, could be left out while Reyna, who made five appearances and one start over the same span, could be included.

Even though Reyna has the superior technical and club pedgiree, he brings enormous questions over his durability, lack of athleticism and impact on team chemistry that Luna does not. He’s also played far fewer minutes at the club level of late, even with Luna starting the 2026 MLS season with a minor knee issue. So it’s hard to call the selection of Reyna anything other than a ‘feel’ pick, since there’s almost no data from his previous contributions suggesting he’s been the superior player in the USMNT shirt.