U.S. World Cup roster revealed early; two big

The second World Cup to be performed in the U.S. will kick off in less than three weeks but apparently some people can’t wait since the American staff’s event roster was leaked to The Guardian on Saturday.

The Athletic said it had independently confirmed the 26-player listing with a number of sources. U.S. Soccer is scheduled to formally release the staff in a nationally televised event in Manhattan this week. Contacted by The Times for remark Saturday a U.S. Soccer spokesman said, “What I can tell you is we will make the official announcement Tuesday.”

But it’s the roster, and not the best way in which it was launched, that is of most significance right here and among the placing omissions are midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Diego Luna. Tessmann had been called into six training camps under U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and was seen as a potential starter for the U.S. before being shut down by his French membership, Lyon, at the end of the season, leaving his fitness for the World Cup in query.

Luna, who performs in MLS for Real Salt Lake, also has been a common under Pochettino, enjoying in 17 of the U.S. staff’s 18 video games in 2025, scoring 4 objectives and contributing 4 assists. But he missed time earlier this season because of a knee injury and sat out his membership staff’s last two video games with a muscle drawback.

Thirteen of the 26 gamers who had been chosen — including midfielders Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie — had been on the U.S. staff in Qatar 4 years in the past. They shall be joined by defenders Miles Robinson and Chris Richards, who missed the last World Cup to injury, and ahead Ricardo Pepi, one of the ultimate cuts in 2022.

Richards was included on the roster confirmed by the Athletic despite tearing two ligaments in his left ankle in Crystal Palace’s penultimate Premier League match with Brentford last weekend. The ultimate roster, which might embrace between 23 and 26 gamers, must be filed to FIFA by June 1. However groups can change gamers up to 24 hours before their opening match in the event of injury or sickness.

Reyna, one of the most gifted gamers in the U.S. expertise pool, was named to the staff despite having performed just one full 90-minute sport for membership or nation in the last 4 years. And in the last World Cup in Qatar, he was almost despatched home for a perceived lack of effort in training after he discovered he wouldn’t be a starter in the event.

“No spot is guaranteed or safe,” he said of the World Cup during an interview earlier this month alongside his German membership teammate Joe Scally, who also made the U.S. roster. “I want to be there. It’s a World Cup in your home country.

“It’s a dream come true.”

“It only happens every four years,” added Scally, who made the 2022 staff but didn’t play in the event. “Everyone’s just super excited, especially to be in America. It’s going to be very special.”

Among the first-time World Cup alternatives are midfielder Malik Tillman, the German-born brother of LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman; Mexican-born attacker Alejandro Zendejas, who performs for Club América in Liga MX; and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, son of Gregg Berhalter, the U.S. coach in the last World Cup.

The inclusion of Zendejas on the roster was a bit of a shock since his last look with the national staff got here in September but he has performed effectively with América this season.

After Tuesday’s roster announcement in New York, the staff will fly to Atlanta for training camp forward of friendlies with Senegal in Charlotte, N.C., on May 31 and against Germany on June 6 in Chicago. The U.S. opens World Cup play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, dealing with Paraguay.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)

Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse) Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

Midfielders: Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América)

Forwards: Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV),Haji Wright (Coventry City)