Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 USMNT roster shows a significant shift with more players based in Europe than in MLS.
- This global distribution reflects the team’s strategy to elevate competition ahead of hosting the World Cup.
- The next step for manager Mauricio Pochettino will be integrating these experiences into a cohesive World Cup campaign.
The United States Men’s National Team undoubtedly feels the pressure as one of the host nations for the 2026 World Cup. Not only are they the proverbial home team for this year’s World Cup, but one could argue that the talent on the U.S. side is as good as it’s been in a long, long time, and we’re not just talking about Christian Pulisic either. And a big part of that is seen with where the USMNT team members play their club soccer.
For many years, it felt like the USMNT roster at the World Cup or any other competition was largely comprised of MLS players with only a handful of players making their way to Europe or international leagues. That’s no longer the case, as the United States side has now become more worldwide in terms of their club affiliation, with more players on the roster playing in Europe than in MLS.
USMNT roster and the club team every players is on
| Name (USMNT Number) | Position | Club Team |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Turner (1) | GK | New England Revolution |
| Sergiño Dest (2) | DEF | PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) |
| Chris Richards (3) | DEF | Crystal Palace (England) |
| Tyler Adams (4) | MID | AFC Bournemouth (England) |
| Antonee Robinson (5) | DEF | Fulham (England) |
| Auston Trusty (6) | DEF | Celtic (Scotland) |
| Giovanni Reyna (7) | FWD | Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany) |
| Weston McKennie (8) | MID | Juventus (Italy) |
| Ricardo Pepi (9) | FWD | PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) |
| Christian Pulisic (10) | FWD | AC Milan (Italy) |
| Brenden Aaronson (11) | FWD | Leeds United (England) |
| Miles Robinson (12) | DEF | FC Cincinnati |
| Tim Ream (13) | DEF | Charlotte FC |
| Sebastian Berhalter (14) | MID | Vancouver Whitecaps |
| Christian Roldan (15) | MID | Seattle Sounders |
| Alex Freeman (16) | DEF | Villareal (Spain) |
| Malik Tillman (17) | FWD | Bayer Leverskusen (Germany) |
| Max Arfsten (18) | DEF | Columbus Crew |
| Haji Wright (19) | FWD | Coventry City (England) |
| Folarin Balogun (20) | FWD | AS Monaco (France) |
| Timothy Weah (21) | FWD | Marseille (France) |
| Mark McKenzie (22) | DEF | Toulouse (France) |
| Joe Scally (23) | DEF | Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany) |
| Matt Freese (24) | GK | New York City FC |
| Chris Brady (25) | GK | Chicago Fire |
| Alejandro Zendejas (26) | FWD | Club América (Mexico) |
As the United States has tried to elevate in recent years (albeit with inconsistent levels of success), we’ve seen more players on the national team venture outside of MLS and into the higher levels of European leagues. Seeing Pulisic on AC Milan or Folarin Balogun on AS Monaco or even someone like Auston Trusty on Celtic feels like the U.S. taking steps in the right direction with this roster.
These players are getting more reps against the best in the world, rather than largely competing against MLS sides, no disrespect intended. That doesn’t mean that it will all translate to World Cup success, at least not immediately, but with every passing year where this is the vision for the Americans, we should see more fruitful results on the pitch.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino could turn the tides
While the record through his first 26 matches as the USMNT head coach doesn’t totally reflect it, hiring Pochettino is still believed to be the right move to push the Americans to another level. Part of that is how he operates with the players and the apparent push to play more outside of the U.S. at the club level, but it’s also the pedigree.
Pochettino has enjoyed a storied career as a manager after the Argentinian spent more than two decades playing throughout Europe, most notably with Espanyol. He’s managed Espanyol in La Liga, Southampton, Tottenham and Chelse in the Premier League, and even made a stop at Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 for some time. On the whole, he accrued a 316-190-144 record at the club level.
With so much of the unrest around Gregg Berhalter’s tenure as the coach of this national team, they needed someone with the pedigree to come in and reset the culture for the United States. Pochettino seems to be that guy. The process might not necessarily be over just yet, but the World Cup will be a good indicator of how far the U.S. Men’s National Team has come under Pochettino since he was hired in 2024.
