Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie have been named to spearhead the United States\u2019 push at the World Cup after head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed a 26-man squad for the tournament, which the Americans are aiming to make a meaningful run in on home soil.<\/p>\n
The roster is split evenly, featuring 13 players making their World Cup debuts and 13 who were part of the squad in Qatar in 2022, when the U.S. reached the Round of 16. Among the Qatar group\u2019s most important contributors were the three American scorers from that tournament\u2014Pulisic, Tim Weah and Haji Wright\u2014who all find places in the new selection.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup,\u201d Pochettino said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese were very difficult decisions, and we are thankful to all the players who were part of this journey. This group is very focused and ready to give everything they have to represent the United States and deliver performances that will make the fans and the country proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan, is still the most widely recognised figure in the squad. Adams, captain of the 2022 team, is expected to bring a tough, flexible edge in midfield after spending his most recent campaign with Premier League club Bournemouth.<\/p>\n
Up front, AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun is viewed as the leading candidate for a primary role if the U.S. adopts Pochettino\u2019s favoured 3-4-2-1 structure, with the attacker potentially emerging as one of the summer\u2019s key figures for goals and chances.<\/p>\n
Gio Reyna also makes the squad despite having limited minutes for Borussia Moenchengladbach this season, adding another creative option to the U.S. attacking mix. Alejandro Zendejas, meanwhile, secured his spot following a strong end to the campaign with Liga MX side Club America after he was left out of the roster in March.<\/p>\n
Not all of the story is about new faces, though. Notable absences include Diego Luna, who has been sidelined with an injury, and Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann.<\/p>\n
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States alongside Mexico and Canada, and it will be the first time the U.S. has staged football\u2019s global showpiece since 1994.<\/p>\n
McKennie said the squad\u2019s selection represents a chance to energise supporters and help broaden interest in the sport across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity for everyone on the roster and also for the fans who maybe don\u2019t know a lot about soccer here in America to feel the passion,\u201d he said at a squad reveal event in Manhattan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope that we can make people fall in love with the game here and maybe be able to etch our names in the history books.\u201d<\/p>\n
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie have been named to spearhead the United States\u2019 push at the World Cup after head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed a 26-man squad for the tournament, which the Americans are aiming to make a meaningful run in on home soil. The roster is split evenly, featuring 13 players making […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"USMNT 26-Man World Cup Squad: Pulisic, Adams Named","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams headline the USMNT\u2019s 26-man World Cup squad, with 13 debutants and 13 Qatar returnees aiming for","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n