Behind the Numbers: The Squad Representing the Stars and Stripes at FIFA World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

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·26 May 2026

Behind the Numbers: The Squad Representing the Stars and Stripes at FIFA World Cup 2026

Article image:Behind the Numbers: The Squad Representing the Stars and Stripes at FIFA World Cup 2026

In a nationally televised, fan-first event in New York City on Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino unveiled the 26-player roster that will represent the Stars and Stripes at FIFA World Cup 2026™ between June 11 and July 19.

  1. MORE: U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino Names 26-Player Roster for FIFA World Cup 2026

The roster is headlined by 13 players previously named to the 2022 FIFA World Cup roster—namely Christian Pulisic, Tim Ream, Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams—and also featuring a collection of rising stars—Alex Zendejas, Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman and Chris Brady—set to battle for minutes this summer.

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Next up, the squad heads to the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Ga. for the first USMNT training camp at the state-of-the-art facility, later hosting the Allstate Continental Clásico against African powerhouse Senegal on May 31, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., before facing Germany in front of a sold-out crowd on June 6, in Chicago, Ill. in the Coca-Cola Send-Off Match.

For Country

  • The squad has 505 total caps, with the team boasting an average of roughly 35 senior national team appearances. Six previous USMNT World Cup squads averaged more caps per player (1998, 2002, 2006, 1994, 2014, 2010), while five averaged fewer (1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 2022).
  • With 84 caps, Christian Pulisic is the most experienced player on the roster, followed by fellow 2022 World Cup veterans Tim Ream (80 caps), Weston McKennie (64), Brenden Aaronson (57), Matt Turner (53), Tyler Adams (52), Antonee Robinson (52) and Tim Weah (49).
  • Of the 26 players named to the World Cup squad, 13 were named to the 2022 USMNT World Cup squad; 11 of those 13 made an appearance in Qatar. Eight players from the 2026 squad started all four matches at the 2022 World Cup: Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Matt Turner and Tim Weah. 
  • The group has combined for 121 goals and 84 assists for the USMNT. The top scorers are Christian Pulisic (32 goals), Ricardo Pepi (13) and Weston McKennie, while the assist leaders are Christian Pulisic (19 assists), Antonee Robinson (9) and Weston McKennie (7).
  • At the opening match against Paraguay on June 12, the 26-player roster will hold an average age of 26 years and 332 days, the fifth-youngest squad the United States has sent to a World Cup. The four youngest squads were in 1990 (24 years, 25 days), 2022 (25 years, 216 days), 1930 (26 years, 226 days), 1994 (26 years, 285 days).
  • At 21 years old, Villarreal CF defender Alex Freeman is the youngest player on the roster, while Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream is the oldest at 38 years old.
  • Several members of the squad have combined to lead the USMNT to five international trophies in recent years: the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup (1 player), the 2019–20 Concacaf Nations League (9), 2021 Gold Cup (3), the 2022–23 Nations League (14) and the 2023–24 Nations League (18).
  • The roster features five U.S. Soccer Player of the Year award recipients: Christian Pulisic (2023, 2021, 2019, 2017), Chris Richards (2025), Antonee Robinson (2024), Tyler Adams (2022) and Weston McKennie (2020). Additionally, four U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year award recipients are also included on the roster: Ricardo Pepi (2021), Gio Reyna (2020), Sergiño Dest (2019) and Christian Pulisic (2016).
  • The players represent hometowns in 12 different states: New York (4 players), California (3), Pennsylvania (3), Texas (3), New Jersey (2), Alabama (1), Delaware (1), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (1) and Ohio (1). Four other players have hometowns in three different foreign countries: England (2), Germany (1) and Netherlands (1).
  • Seven players made their debut for the United States during the 2026 World Cup cycle: Alex Zendejas (Jan. 25, 2023 vs. Serbia), Auston Trusty (March 24, 2023 vs. Grenada), Folarin Balogun (June 15, 2023 vs. Mexico), Max Arfsten (Jan. 18, 2025 vs. Venezuela), Alex Freeman and Matt Freese (June 7, 2025 vs. Türkiye) and Sebastian Berhalter (June 10, 2025 vs. Switzerland).

For Club

  • In total, 21 clubs and 10 leagues are represented. There are two pairs of club teammates in the squad: PSV Eindhoven’s Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi and Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Gio Reyna and Joe Scally.
  • The squad features numerous players who have won club trophies at the highest levels: FIFA Club World Cup (1 player), UEFA Champions League (1), Concacaf Champions Cup (1), UEFA Super Cup (3), DFB-Pokal (3), Coppa Italia (2), FA Cup (2), Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2), Canadian Championship (1), MLS Cup (4), Eredivisie (3), German Bundesliga (2), French Ligue 1 (1) and EFL Championship (4), among other competitions.
  • For the first time since the inception of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996, all three goalkeepers representing the USMNT at the World Cup play in the domestic league: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire FC), Matt Freese (New York City FC) and Matt Turner (New England Revolution).
  • In addition to the seven MLS players representing American clubs, the inclusion of Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) along with Alejandro Zendejas (Club América) marks the second time in the USMNT’s World Cup history in which the squad has included players representing clubs from the United States, Mexico and Canada (2014).

Individual Milestones

  • Should he make an appearance against Paraguay on June 12, defender Tim Ream will become the oldest USMNT player to appear in a World Cup match at 38 years, 8 months and 7 days old, surpassing defender Fernando Clavijo who was 38 years, 4 months and 30 days old when he made his first appearance at the 1994 World Cup.
  • Chicago Fire FC goalkeeper Chris Brady is the second uncapped player to be named to a USMNT World Cup squad after goalkeeper Juergen Sommer in 1994. Before that, only the 1950 World Cup featured uncapped players representing the United States.
  • The USMNT’s Group Stage match against Australia at Seattle Stadium marks the first time in the USMNT’s World Cup history in which a player (Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders FC) will have the opportunity to participate in a World Cup match in his club stadium.
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