With the 2026 World Cup looming on home US soil, Mauricio Pochettino’s selected a 27-man U.S. Men’s National Team roster for March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal that’s less an experiment and more a near-final draft. These two matches, against top-tier opponents (both are in FIFA’s Top 10 rankings), represent the likely last true audition before the final 26-man squad is named.
The roster, anchored by established stars like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Chris Richards, blends experience with emerging depth. It is, in many ways, the clearest signal yet of how Pochettino envisions his World Cup team—while still leaving just enough uncertainty to create fierce competition across a few key spots.
Notably absent are core players such as Tyler Adams and Sergiño Dest, both out due to recent injuries, as well as Diego Luna and Haji Wright, who had been among Poch’s most-called prior to their own injuries. The absence of these four players could open the door for others to stake their claim on one of those 26 World Cup roster spots through strong performances in this pair of March matches.
Tactical identity and expectations
Pochettino appears committed to a flexible system, likely a back three (or hybrid shape that changes from defense to offense), with Chris Richards anchoring the defense and Christian Pulisic fueling the attack. The USMNT’s success under Poch coincided with a tactical switch from 4 to 3 in the back.
The midfield remains the team’s engine, as well as its deepest position. With Adams unavailable, Tanner Tessmann, Johnny Cardoso, and Aidan Morris will compete for control of the central spine. It will be interesting to see if Poch inserts Weston McKennie in a deeper central role, or further up the midfield where he’s had great success with Juventus this season.
Up front, the attacking core is largely settled. Christian Pulisic on one flank (likely left), with Folarin Balogun up front is a lethal combination. A big question is whether we’ll see Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie, or Tim Weah occupy the other flank. Ricardo Pepi, coming back from injury at PSV and not quite in his best form yet, will likely look to fill the role of super sub up front (as well Brendan Aaronson out wide).
The expectation is not necessarily to dominate Belgium or Portugal (doing either would be viewed as a big accomplishment), but to prove that the U.S. can compete structurally, physically, and tactically against elite opposition.
Players with the most to gain (or lose)
Several players enter this camp with everything on the line:
- Gio Reyna: Perhaps the most scrutinized player in the pool. Despite elite talent, inconsistent club minutes (even after a switch to Borussia Munchengladbach) make this a defining window. His game-changing potential and success made this call-up possible. Success against Belgium and Portugal may be his only way to make the final 26-man roster.
- Tanner Tessmann vs Johnny Cardoso vs Aidan Morris: Likely competing for a single backup No. 6 role behind Adams (two at most). Each offer different profiles: Johnny bring top-tier club experience, Morris brings intensity, Tessmann positional intelligence. But after repeatedly failing to reproduce his club form at the National level, this is likely Johnny’s last chance to crack the lineup for this World Cup cycle.
- Joe Scally vs Alex Freeman vs Tim Weah: With Dest injured, the right-back/wing-back position is wide open. Alex Freeman had the most success here with the National Team. Tim Weah has played here with Olympique Marseille all season. Scally is another option. One strong performance could lock in a World Cup role.
- Patrick Agyemang vs Ricardo Pepi: With Haji Wright unavailable and the striker depth chart is unsettled behind Balogun, both Pepi and “Big Pat” have the opportunity to battle it out for the backup striker position. For Agyemang, this could be his opportunity to make the World Cup roster period, as he’s largely viewed as the 4th best option up front, on a roster that will likely carry only 3 strikers.
- Auston Trusty: With veteran Tim Ream aging fast, having another option at the Left Center-Back position makes a lot of sense. Trusty performed well enough in the previous pair of games to warrant a call-back. Having a breakout game here could cement his place for one of the last few remaining roster spots.
Stable, but still under pressure
Even established players are not immune:
- Matt Turner: Once the undisputed No. 1, he now more realistically faces competition from Chris Brady and Patrick Schulte for the backup goalkeeper position. It’s unclear whether Poch even views Turner as the #2 option anymore.
- Tim Ream: A veteran leader, but age and MLS form raise questions about whether he can hold off younger center-backs.
- Brenden Aaronson: A high-energy contributor, but must prove he offers enough end product to justify a roster spot in a crowded attack. If not, the snubbed Alex Zendejas is standing ready to step back into the fold.
Chances against Belgium and Portugal
Facing Belgium (ranked No. 9) and Portugal (No. 6) presents a formidable challenge.
Belgium’s physicality and depth in midfield will test the U.S. defensively, while Portugal’s technical quality, particularly in wide areas, could expose any structural weaknesses.
For the USMNT, success should be measured less in results and more in performance indicators:
- Can they maintain defensive shape against elite attackers?
- Can the midfield control possession without Adams?
- Can the attack create consistent chances against top-tier teams?
A realistic expectation of success would be a pair of ties. However, if the U.S. manages a win from one of these two matches, it would signal genuine readiness to make a deep World Cup run.
Complete 27-man roster (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 13/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 52/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 16/1), Alex Freeman (Villarreal/ESP; 13/2), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 25/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 79/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 35/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 50/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 22/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 5/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 9/1), Johnny Cardoso (Atletico Madrid/ESP; 22/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 62/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 13/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 34/9), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 43/0), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 12/1); Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen/GER; 26/3)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 56/9); Patrick Agyemang (Derby County/ENG; 12/5), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 23/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 34/13), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 82/32), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille/FRA; 47/7)