Projecting USA’s 2026 World Cup roster after losses to Portugal and Belgium

For better or worse, this part of the World Cup roster race has been run. With the U.S. men’s national team’s final two tune-ups before coach Mauricio Pochettino names his final 26-man squad for the U.S.-co-hosted tournament in 2026 now in the books, there are no more opportunities for those hoping to receive a congratulatory phone call from the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager to impress while wearing the stars and stripes. Poch and his team will watch every club game for every candidate every week, there is no doubt about that. They will take into account everything from form and fitness to roles and chemistry on and off the field. Some decisions have probably been made. Others will come through the wire. The choices “are going to be painful, because in this process you always create emotional connections,” Pochettino said Tuesday, after the Americans lost their first two games of the year to European powers Belgium and then Portugal. “They know it’s going to be a competition,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to pick just 26.” Coming out of the March window, who is most likely to succeed? And which 11 players will line up for the United States when the competition kicks off on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles? Here’s my latest prediction: STRIKERS Starter: Folarin Balogun Saves: Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright Just missed: Josh Sargent Balogun appeared in both games as a starter. And even if the Monaco striker didn’t score any goals either, nothing that happened against Belgium or Portugal changed the hierarchy. Need proof? Look no further than Pocherttino’s decision to start Pulisic as the number 9 (the main striker) in the latter. If he had seen Agyemang or Pepi as potential World Cup starters, the Argentine would surely have entrusted this mission to one of them. Instead, Agyemang and Pepi came on as substitutes in both matches and combined for the former’s consolation goal against the Belgians. Ageymang also had some brilliant moments against the Portuguese; he might just have edged out Pepi as the first striker off the bench. It’s also possible that Wright, who missed this camp with a minor injury, remains ahead of both. OFFENSING MIDDLEBIRD Starters: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Sergiño DestSubstitutes: Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Malik Tillman Narrowly missed: Gio Reyna, Alex Zendejas Don’t underestimate how much the U.S. in general and Pulisic in particular missed Dest, who remains out with a torn left hamstring that should be fully healed when it matters most. As unpredictable as he is talented, the 2022 World Cup veteran’s presence on the right prevents teams from focusing solely on Pulisic — still the United States’ most dangerous striker when at the peak of his power — on the opposite side. Without a goal for club or country so far in 2026, Pulisic is far from his best. But he still has more than two months left to regain the sharpness that allowed the AC Milan star to lead Italy’s Serie A in goals earlier this season and head into the World Cup with renewed momentum and confidence. McKennie has no such concerns, scoring one of two U.S. goals last month. In one year, the Juventus star went from Pochettino’s doghouse to the penthouse. He seems ready to experience a monster World Cup. Tillman started both March games and probably helped himself. He’s not as strong defensively as Aaronson, Luna, or Johnny Cardoso (more on him in a minute), but he had some of the Americans’ best moments going forward. He could start some matches in the main event depending on the opponent. Reyna seemed World Cup-bound when Poch named him on the March roster despite his lack of playing time with Borussia Dortmund. I’m not so sure after 31 ineffective minutes off the bench. Luna was not involved in March, as she is just returning from injury. Once considered a lock, its inclusion now seems closer to a coin toss. His survival will largely depend on how he performs for MLS side Real Salt Lake over the next seven weeks. Then there’s Zendejas, who has only appeared in two camps since Pochettino in late 2024. But Club América’s No. 10 playmaker scored a stunning game-winner against Japan last October and continues to be among the most productive Americans playing anywhere in the world. HOLDING MIDDLES Starters: Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso Substitutes: Sebastian Berhalter, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann Narrow misses: Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah Much of the United States’ defensive struggles in March were due to the absence of Adams, another key player who missed out due to a minor illness suffered while playing for Premier League side Bournemouth. Pochettino is surely praying that the destroyer of heart and soul – for whom there is no comparable alternative – is healthy and available this summer after an injury in recent years. Cardoso only logged the first 45 minutes of the opener before being sent back to Atlético Madrid to treat his own minor injury. It might have helped: the U.S. came face-to-face with Belgium while he was on the field, and the corner from which McKennie scored was created by a counterattack sparked by Johnny’s turnaround and deft pass. Asked about Tessmann after this competition, Poch was frank. “I’ve seen him play better games than today,” the coach said. Tessmann, an Alabama native, remains a lock on the roster and comfortably ahead of Berhalter and Roldan. Berhalter played the last half hour against Belgium and 79 minutes against Portugal. Roldan came off the bench in both cases. Morris got the start in the second game, but probably didn’t do enough to secure a spot if everyone is healthy. Meanwhile, Musah has passed more than a year since his last summons. FULLBACKS Starters: Tim Weah, Antonee “Jedi” Robinson Saves: Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman Just Missed: Joe Scally Previously considered a strength, right-back has become a problem for Pochettino. He views Dest – a defensive starter in 2022 – as a winger. Freeman is not sharp; he has played more in the national team’s first two games of 2026 than he has since joining Spanish club Villarreal more than three months ago. Versatile Bundesliga veteran Scally doesn’t really seem to be Poch’s cup of tea, although his comfort as a right centre-back could keep him in the mix. That leaves Weah. The natural winger is not a perfect solution but could be the best. The 26-year-old is extremely experienced at right-back, having played in the position at least 11 times for Marseille in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League this season and 10 times for Juve the year before. Pochettino praised the work Weah did in containing Manchester City’s Belgian winger Jeremy Doku, regretting the lack of defensive support he received from his fellow defenders. “It was a great opportunity for Tim,” Poch said. “For me, he was good.” Jedi is the clear lock on the left. He was one of the sharpest U.S. players in March in his first international action since late 2024. But Arfsten, his deputy, looked out of the game after replacing Robinson in both games. CENTRAL DEFENDERS Starters: Chris Richards, Tim Ream Subs: Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty Just missed: Miles Robinson Richards helped stabilize a porous United backline after missing the opener with right knee soreness. He is by far the best American central defender. Ream, 38, Poch’s first-choice captain, had a difficult outing against the Red Devils and was replaced by fellow left-hander Trusty – whose stock soared thanks to a strong performance against Portugal’s global attack. Timing is everything at World Cups, and Trusty’s performance could well have edged him ahead of Miles Robinson, who was unable to play in either match after straining his groin in training. The wild card here is Noahkai Banks, born in Hawaii and raised in Germany, who declined an invitation to March’s camp as he considers whether to commit his international future to Die Mannschaft (Germany) or the Red, White and Blue. GOALKEEPERS Starter: Matt Freese Substitutes: Matt Turner, Chris Brady Just missed: Roman Celentano, Jonathan Klinsmann, Diego Kochen, Patrick Schulte Freese almost certainly won the World Cup starting job with a stellar performance on Tuesday. Neither of Portugal’s goals were his fault, and he made several incredible saves, including this beauty against Seleção captain Bruno Fernandes: New York City FC’s backstop presence and command of its 18-yard box also stood out. It was arguably the 27-year-old Harvard graduate’s best game for his country since his international debut last June. Since then, he has appeared in goal in 14 of the United States’ 16 matches. “I think he has incredible energy,” Pochettino said of Freese even before the Portugal match. For a guy who allowed five goals, Turner played well against Belgium. The score would have been even uglier if he hadn’t. However, its distribution remains suspect; only an inadvertent Belgian handball prevented what would have been a goal coming directly from a wayward pass from Tuner. Finally, multiple sources told me that the uncapped 22-year-old Brady impressed U.S. goalie coaches Toni Jimenez and Jack Robinson and separated himself from the rest of the candidates for the third-string guard position. Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered the United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.