U.S. World Cup players have begun arriving in New York ahead of Tuesday’s roster announcement party, the first assembly of Mauricio Pochettino’s 26-man squad before training camp opens Wednesday in Greater Atlanta.
The leaked roster removed much of the intrigue surrounding Tuesday’s festivities. As players arrive in New York, attention has turned toward injuries, form and readiness for the World Cup.
All but one foreign-based player have completed their respective seasons with honors, hot streaks, slumps or injury concerns. Major League Soccer’s delegation is at almost the midway point of a campaign that has paused seven weeks while the tournament consumes the sporting landscape.
USMNT players arriving in form
Back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the March friendlies, midfielder Tyler Adams helped Bournemouth finish sixth in the Premier League and secure a place in European competition (second-tier Europa League) for the first time in the club’s 127-year history. He started three of the final four matches.
Strikers Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright and Ricardo Pepi combined for 56 goals in 119 appearances (89 starts) across all competitions for Monaco, Coventry City and PSV Eindhoven, respectively.
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Wright helped Coventry run away with the English Championship title and earn promotion to the Premier League after a 25-year absence. Pepi, who recovered from a forearm fracture in early 2026, was part of PSV Eindhoven’s third consecutive Eredivisie trophy.
Right back Sergiño Dest rebounded from a two-month injury layoff to start PSV Eindhoven’s final two matches.
Dest and Pepi helped the Dutch side qualify for the Champions League. Right back Alex Freeman, Villarreal’s midseason acquisition, is also headed to the Champions League after the Spanish club took third in La Liga behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Following compatriot Cameron Carter-Vickers’ Achilles tendon injury in October, center back Auston Trusty started almost every match for Celtic, which, in the past week, won both the Scottish Premiership for the fourth straight year and the FA Cup title.
Midfielder Weston McKennie did it all for disappointing Juventus, playing almost every position while posting nine goals and six assists across all competitions. After Sunday’s kickoff was delayed an hour because of fan unrest outside Torino’s stadium, McKennie logged his 45th start in all competitions.
Oft-injured left back Antonee Robinson not only played every minute of Fulham’s last four matches but received standout reviews — a positive development for a U.S. veteran who faced multiple setbacks in recent seasons.
Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter (six goals, seven assists) and Columbus winger Max Arfsten (four, four) are performing at high levels in MLS.
There also is, however, a blanket of murkiness settling over the roster.
Key questions remain for Mauricio Pochettino
Chris Richards, an indispensable U.S. center back, suffered ligament damage to his left ankle last week, sidelining him for Crystal Palace’s Premier League finale vs. Arsenal on Sunday, casting doubt on his availability for Wednesday’s UEFA title game vs. Spain’s Rayo Vallecano and calling into question his fitness for the World Cup.
Because of the Conference League, Richards is expected to miss roster festivities in New York and not report to U.S. camp until late in the week.
Dating from December, Christian Pulisic has gone scoreless in 21 consecutive matches for club and country — the worst rut of his career. His last three AC Milan appearances came as a sub.
Pochettino does not rely solely on Pulisic for goals, but he does need him in top form for the sport’s grandest competition.
On Sunday, Pulisic entered at the start of the second half. Overall he appeared in 30 of 38 matches, with 18 starts, eight goals and four assists — a drop from 11 goals and nine assists last Serie A season and 12 and eight in 2023-24.
With a 2-1 home loss to Cagliari, Milan fell from third place to fifth and missed out on the Champions League for the second straight year. (Four clubs advanced.) Instead, the Rossoneri will go to the Europa League.
Gazzetta dello Sport, via Soccer America, said of Pulisic: “He hasn’t scored in five months, and his sad decline with the Rossoneri continues as he misses a couple of headed chances. A far cry from ‘Captain America.‘“
After squandering a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Torino, McKennie and Juventus finished sixth and also settled for the Europa League.
At the most suspect U.S. position, center backs Tim Ream (Charlotte) and Miles Robinson (Cincinnati) battled injuries this spring and, when available, did not perform at high levels. Ream played 90 minutes Saturday but, as part of managing his physical demands, Robinson was not in uniform.
Midfielder Gio Reyna, who bobbed in and out of World Cup contention the past year, made the cut because Pochettino values his skill set and capacity for impacting a match on short notice. His first season at Mönchengladbach, though, was a disappointment: 19 appearances, four starts, 510 minutes, one goal and no assists.
What comes next for the USMNT
Tuesday’s roster festivities will take place at Pier 17 in South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan, starting at 1 p.m. (Fan registration has closed.) Player introductions will start at 3 p.m ET, with TV coverage provided by Fox.
That evening, the delegation will fly to Atlanta for workouts starting Wednesday.
Friendlies are slated for next Sunday vs. Senegal in Charlotte and June 6 vs. Germany at sold-out Soldier Field in Chicago before the U.S. sets up World Cup base camp in Irvine, California.