Mauricio Pochettino officially announced the 26-man US squad for the 2026 World Cup on May 27 in New York. Rather than playing down expectations, the Argentine coach surprised fans by implicitly stating the team could win the tournament on home soil.
During a live broadcast, former star Alexi Lalas and coach Pochettino chanted “Why not us?” together, suggesting the US has a realistic chance to lift the trophy. “Americans always dream and do the impossible,” Pochettino said.
This will be the 11th World Cup appearance for the US, whose best result was third place in 1930. Since then, the Stars and Stripes have only reached the quarterfinals once (2002). In Group D, Pochettino’s side will face Paraguay (June 12), Australia (June 19), and Turkey (June 25).
Surviving the group stage is considered feasible, but the path ahead is tough. To reach the quarterfinals, the US needs to win four matches — a major challenge given they have only three World Cup wins since 2002 and have won more than one match in a single tournament just twice (1930 and 2002).
The US weakness is its record against European teams: three wins, seven draws, 14 losses in World Cups. Avoiding UEFA opponents is seen as key to advancing. If the US finishes second in Group D, it would face the Group G runner-up (likely Egypt, Iran, or New Zealand) — a more favorable matchup.
In terms of personnel, goalkeeper Matt Turner remains the No. 1 choice despite difficulties at Arsenal, while Matt Freese is in good form in MLS. The defense is led by Tim Ream (38), Sergino Dest, and Antonee Robinson. In midfield, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Malik Tillman all had successful seasons in Europe.
Christian Pulisic remains the biggest star to watch, but he needs to regain early-season form. Attack hopes rest on Folarin Balogun (13 goals for Monaco) and Ricardo Pepi (scoring in five consecutive matches for PSV). The US will train at a modern facility worth over $200 million in Fayetteville, Georgia.
