USMNT World Cup Roster: Every Mistake Pochettino Made | OneFootball

The main host nation of the 2026 World Cup has revealed their 26 man squad that will defend home soil on the biggest stage. U.S. Soccer had a big ceremony in New York City on Tuesday, although the roster was leaked by The Guardian three days prior. This has given everyone ample time to analyze the selections and the omissions. It’s safe to say there has been lots of scrutiny around Pochettino’s selections, so let’s get into all of the mistakes the former Tottenham manager made. First though, here is the official roster.

USMNT 2026 World Cup Roster

Goalkeepers: Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Matt Turner

Defenders: Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty

Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Cristian Roldan, Malik Tillman

Forwards: Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright, Alejandro Zendejas

Tim Ream

The perfect place to start is with the probable captain of the squad. Tim Ream hasn’t officially been confirmed as “Captain America” this summer, but all signs point that way. He’s worn the armband in 16 of Poch’s 23 matches in charge and doesn’t deserve to be in the team based on sporting merit, so it’s as close to a sure thing as possible. Ream’s main value is as a leader on and off the pitch. The 38 year old has 80 USMNT caps including starting all four games in the 2022 World Cup.

However, his age has really started to show over the past year or so. Some of Ream’s best seasons came around the last World Cup, a mini career renaissance at age 34. Now, his days of starting in the Premier League are a distant memory. He now plies his trade for Charlotte FC and is an average MLS center back at best. The biggest concern for Ream is his lack of pace. He was never the quickest defender and often relied on his ability to read the game as opposed to his physical qualities. Any semblance of speed that he once had is now gone and has gotten him into trouble for both club and country. If Tim Ream’s leadership is truly that important to the locker room, bringing him as a backup is understandable. The real mistake here is that he will likely start and if he does, our opponents will exploit him.

Too Many Defenders

Pochettino decided to bring 10 defenders to the World Cup. There are five traditional fullbacks and five traditional centerbacks. That doesn’t even include Tim Weah, who has been playing wingback for Marseille and the USMNT. The main formation that has been successful under Poch is the 3-4-2-1, so that’s what the USA will likely play this summer. Weah and Sergiño Dest will play right wingback with Antonee Robinson and Max Arfsten on the left. The three center backs will probably be Chris Richards, Ream, and one of Trusty, McKenzie, or Freeman. The other two from that list will be the main backup options.

That leaves Joe Scally and Miles Robinson without a part to play. Scally’s inclusion is a little surprising given that Poch held a grudge against him for doing donuts in a golf cart. He can theoretically offer cover at RCB, RWB, or LWB in this formation. The problem is, he doesn’t have a realistic path to minutes given all the players in front of him in the depth chart.

Same goes for Miles Robinson, who is the sixth choice CB (seventh if you count Scally) and has done nothing to earn a spot in this roster in the first place. He’s been part of a FC Cincinnati defense that has conceded the second most goals in MLS this season. Robinson also missed the March USMNT camp with an injury and generally hasn’t been good for the national team in his caps. The fact that both of these guys are taking up roster spots, especially Robinson, when there’s another area of the pitch that has zero depth is a huge concern.

No Midfield Depth

You guessed it, the area with no depth is the midfield. The USMNT plays with a double pivot in midfield, which either contains two CDMs or a “6” and an “8.” Looking at the World Cup roster, our options are extremely thin. What makes it worse is all of the options that were left at home.

The four players who can comfortably play in this spot are Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sebastian Berhalter, and Cristian Roldan. Adams is a locked-in starter as the CDM. He’s had a good season in the Premier League helping Bournemouth qualify for European football for the first time in club history and is the heart of the USMNT as a destroyer. McKennie is another obvious selection, but his recent caps have all been in a more advanced role as an attacking midfielder or winger. He’ll have to adjust to a deeper position that he is comfortable in, but if this was the plan then why has he not been playing there? Berhalter has earned his place through some good performances for the national team and stellar play in MLS, but he’s more of a box to box midfielder. 

The only true backup CDM is Roldan. The longtime Seattle Sounder has proven time and time again that he is not good enough for the international level, something that he even admitted himself after the 5-2 loss to Belgium in March. He said that the difference in the second half was the quality that you see in the Champions League every Tuesday and Wednesday.

So you may be wondering, what was the key difference between the first half and the second half that made him say that? Roldan came on at halftime, replacing Champions League semifinalist Johnny Cardoso. The USMNT was immediately torn apart, conceding four goals in the second half including two in the first 15 minutes. If Roldan himself can see that he’s not good enough for the level, why can’t our “world class manager” who’s getting paid $6 million per year? To put it plainly, if something happens to Tyler Adams, our World Cup is pretty much over. Pretty worrying when you consider his injury history.

Considering all of this, the decision to leave Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris at home is baffling. There was a lot of speculation that Tessmann’s omission was due to the injury he’s been battling with recently, but it’s been confirmed that he would’ve been fit in time for the World Cup and that the injury wasn’t the reason why he was left out. When the midfield depth is this nonexistent and the guy that was brought as a backup isn’t good enough for the level, there is no good reason why Tessmann shouldn’t have made the squad. He’s always been a pretty safe option for the USMNT and even started against Belgium. With Johnny Cardoso unfortunately missing out due to injury, Tessmann is easily the CDM playing at the highest level besides Adams.

As for Morris, he’s quietly had an excellent season for Middlesbrough. His midfield partner Hayden Hackney often gets the plaudits but Morris has been one of the most underrated players in the EFL Championship this year, helping his club make the promotion playoffs. He was one of the only good players for Boro in the second leg of the semifinal against Southampton that ultimately didn’t end up mattering and in the final against Hull City. Just because Middlesbrough won’t be in the Premier League next season doesn’t mean Morris won’t be. Don’t be surprised if he’s a transfer target this summer for some of the relegation contenders in the top flight. His chemistry with Sebastian Berhalter has been noticeable for the USMNT, especially in the 5-1 win over Uruguay in November. Tessmann and Morris are the two biggest snubs in this roster.

Not Bringing A Breakout Young Player

One of the biggest storylines this season in MLS is the emergence of so many great young talents that have earned key roles with their clubs. There are three in particular that should’ve been strongly considered for the USMNT and not bringing any of them is a mistake. Those players are Real Salt Lake winger Zavier Gozo as well as Red Bull New York duo Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti.

Starting with Gozo, for me the 19 year old Utah native is the biggest snub of the three. He broke into the RSL first team in 2025 and showed some flashes but struggled for end product, only scoring four goals and providing three assists. This season has been a different story. Gozo already has six goals and four assists in just 14 matches despite playing most of his minutes in a deeper role as a right wingback. Many USMNT fans are upset about Diego Luna not making the World Cup roster, but Gozo is the RSL player who deserves the spot more. The USA’s winger depth is very weak, with the only real wingers being Christian Pulisic and Alejandro Zendejas. Weah will be playing as a wingback and Aaronson/Reyna/Tillman are all best as attacking midfielders. Gozo’s electric pace and 1v1 dribbling ability would’ve made him a real asset for Pochettino if he was selected.

Before Patrick Agyemang unfortunately ruptured his Achilles, the plan was to take four strikers to the World Cup. That still could’ve happened, only with Julian Hall in Agyemang’s place. The 18 year old has been scoring goals for fun in 2026, finding the back of the net 12 times in 17 matches for RBNY. Although Hall wouldn’t have played much if he made the roster, it still would’ve been an incredible opportunity for him to learn what it’s like to be at a World Cup while learning from three strikers that just had very strong seasons in Europe. There’s also his Polish connection to consider. The president of the Polish FA recently visited his mother in the USA and they’ve been heavily recruiting him. The USMNT needs to get him into camps soon or we may risk losing him.

Finally, Adri Mehmeti has shown technical quality and tactical intelligence well beyond his years. Despite just turning 17 in April, he’s been the metronome in midfield for RBNY. Having former USMNT CDM Michael Bradley as his manager has been so helpful for Mehmeti. Bradley has given him the keys in that “6” position and it’s working to perfection. He’s been one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS and his performances have caught the eye of the world’s biggest clubs. Mehmeti has drawn comparisons to Sergio Busquets due to his composure on the ball and ability to always find the right pass. He will be a USMNT starter for the next decade and potentially the best player on the team if he hits his potential. Even right now, he’s arguably a better player than Cristian Roldan and is another option in a position that could really use some more depth.

Roster Changes I Would Make