The waiting is over. Mauricio Pochettino unveiled the United States' 26-man World Cup squad Tuesday afternoon in New York City in a nationally televised event on FOX, and the names on the list tell you exactly what kind of tournament Pochettino is planning for.
Pulisic is in. Reyna is in. And Alejandro Zendejas, the Club America forward who many thought was on the outside looking in, made the cut too.
Tanner Tessmann did not. Neither did Diego Luna.
There's a story in every one of those names.
Full USMNT 2026 World Cup Roster
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Matt Turner
Defenders: Max Arfsten, Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty
Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Cristian Roldan
Attacking midfielders/wingers: Brenden Aaronson, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah, Alejandro Zendejas
Forwards: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright
The Headliners
Christian Pulisic leads the roster, as expected. The minor gluteal strain that clouded his availability in the weeks leading up to the announcement is behind him, and the U.S. captain will be the face of this World Cup campaign. He is the engine. Everyone knows it. The question isn't whether he plays - it's whether Pochettino builds the attack around him or asks him to operate within a system first.
Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie give the US its midfield spine. Both bring experience from the 2022 squad, and both know what it feels like to be on the big stage. Adams, healthy now after an injury-plagued run at Bournemouth, is the connective tissue that makes this midfield breathe. McKennie is the physicality. Put them together and the US can compete with almost anyone in the middle of the park.
The Big Inclusion: Gio Reyna
The question surrounding Gio Reyna leading into the announcement wasn't just "will he make it" - it was "what version of Reyna shows up?" The Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder had a good second half of the Bundesliga season and won back Pochettino's trust after a stretch where his relationship with the national team program was complicated, to put it diplomatically.
He's in. Pochettino is betting that the 23-year-old son of Claudio Reyna can deliver in the moments that matter. If he's right, Reyna could be the player who elevates this team from competitive to special. He has that kind of ceiling.
The Surprise: Zendejas
Alejandro Zendejas is the name that made people do a double take. The Club America winger hadn't played for the national team since September, and heading into the announcement there were real questions about whether Pochettino viewed him as part of the picture.
He's part of the picture.
Zendejas brings pace, creativity, and a left-footed option out wide that gives Pochettino flexibility in how he sets up the attack. He's a gamble - but he's a calculated one, and it says something that Pochettino trusted his European-based core enough to also reach into Liga MX.
The Defense-Heavy Build
Ten defenders. That number raised some eyebrows. Joe Scally is included alongside Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Antonee Robinson, Auston Trusty, Alex Freeman, and Max Arfsten - a group that gives Pochettino a lot of options but also signals something about how he wants to play.
The roster is built to absorb pressure, stay organized, and let the quality in attack do the damage. It is also light on traditional central midfielders, with Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sebastian Berhalter, and Cristian Roldan as the four listed midfielders. That makes the defender-heavy construction one of the clearest tactical tells on the roster.
The Snubs
Tanner Tessmann was the most debated omission. The Lyon midfielder had a strong Ligue 1 campaign and was a consistent performer under Pochettino in earlier camps. He's gone. The reasoning from the camp has been vague, but the best guess is that Pochettino wanted flexibility elsewhere on the roster more than another central midfield option.
Diego Luna stings more from a storyline perspective. The Real Salt Lake midfielder appeared in the team's World Cup marketing campaign - fans noticed, and when his name wasn't called, so did social media. He's 21, he'll have another chance. But this wasn't his moment.
Aidan Morris of Middlesbrough is another name that won't be on the plane. He's been solid at Championship level, but Pochettino decided he wasn't ready for this stage.
The Goalkeeping Picture
Matt Turner, with 53 caps, is the veteran of the goalkeeping group. Matt Freese of NYCFC comes in as the in-form challenger with 14 caps. Chris Brady of the Chicago Fire rounds out the three, a young domestic option who gives the staff one eye on the future.
What's Next
The US has two warm-up friendlies before the tournament begins. They face Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte and Germany on June 6 in Chicago. Two quality opponents will test very different aspects of Pochettino's squad: Senegal's athleticism and pressing game, and Germany's organized technical play. These aren't glorified kickabouts. Pochettino will use them to nail down his system and his starting XI.
The group stage opener is June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Australia and Turkiye follow in Group D.
The roster is built. The plan is in place. Now it's time to see if it holds up when the lights come on.
If you want the bigger picture on who the US will face in the bracket and which teams could be the ones to derail a deep run, we broke down the 2026 World Cup dark horses and USMNT outlook a week ago. Worth a read before the tournament kicks off.