Pochettino raises expectations as he reveals USMNT 2026 World Cup roster

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Previous World Cup appearances: 10
Best performance: Third (1930)
First appearance: 1930 (Uruguay)
Top goal scorer: Landon Donovan (5)
Most appearances: Landon Donovan (12)
Player to watch: Christian Pulisic
FIFA world ranking: 16

Realistically, the United States national team should be satisfied with a round of 16 appearance in this summer’s World Cup.

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But some believe the team could go much further, including coach Mauricio Pochettino. Nothing wrong with shooting high, but the question is: How high?

And that is where Pochettino might have toned it down during a presentation of the team roster on Tuesday in New York. Instead, the broadcast signed off with former US defender Alexi Lalas and Pochettino saying, in unison, “Why not us?” – implying the US has a realistic chance of winning the 2026 World Cup.

“American people, it’s always about to dream, it’s about to do the impossible,” Pochettino said.

Host Landon Donovan had gotten the ball rolling earlier in the show, telling Bournemouth and national team star Tyler Adams it would be “amazing” to return to the New York area on July 19, the date of the final, across the Hudson River, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Sure, it would be great, and prognosticators and supporters can go around saying so.

But coaches and players do not need to go overboard. The time-tested method is usually to give the impression you’re exceeding expectations, rather than falling short.

As for the US’s prospects of winning the World Cup, remember, the team has only made it to the quarterfinals once since 1930.

Nor was the television show much of a reveal. First off, the US player pool is not so deep that there are major doubts about the roster. Also, the names had been leaked in advance.

So, lacking suspense, this served as a cheerleading exercise, an over-the-top “send-off” for the team, which isn’t travelling all that far.

The US will prepare at its new, $200m-plus training facility in Fayetteville, outside Atlanta. The state-of-the-art setup has been funded by Arthur Blank, owner of the NFL Atlanta Falcons and MLS Atlanta United, and it is the type of investment made for teams with high expectations.

Nice digs, but facilities and infrastructure are not lacking in the US. If World Cup success depended on having a cushy place to practice, the US would have been set long ago.

As for reaching the Round of 16, the US has a good chance. The Stars and Stripes will fancy their chances of winning Group D, ahead of Australia, Paraguay, and Turkiye. That would mean a Round of 32 matchup against a lower-seeded opponent. After that, the task gets more difficult.

Getting to the quarterfinals would likely require winning four games. That’s a lot to ask, even with a favourable group in a watered-down 48-team field, considering the US has a total of three victories in the World Cup since 2002, and has only twice won more than one game at a World Cup tournament (1930 and 2002).

The key to advancement for the US is avoiding European opponents, and not only because eight of the top 10 FIFA-ranked teams are European. The US has compiled a (win-loss-draw) World Cup record of 3-14-7 against UEFA teams, with their only wins over Belgium 3-0 in 1930, England 1-0 in 1950, and Portugal 3-2 in 2002.

However, there might not be an advantage to capturing the group, since that could mean facing a European foe in the Round of 32. Finishing second in Group D would mean a date with Group G runner-up – likely Egypt, Iran or New Zealand. A win there, and it’s on to the Round of 16 and, then, they could reasonably start talking quarterfinals.

A look at the squad

Goalkeepers

Matt Freese has been Pochettino’s starting choice, but Matt Turner claimed the number one jersey during the roster presentation.

Freese, who had a Manchester United tryout as a teenager, has been among the top keepers in MLS, but is inexperienced at the international level.

Turner struggled after signing with Arsenal in 2022, but has been performing regularly with the New England Revolution. Turner kept two clean sheets in Qatar, tying a team record set by Jimmy Douglas in 1930.

Defenders

Three defenders from 2022 return: Tim Ream and full-backs Sergino Dest and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson.

Can Ream, the team’s oldest player at 38, keep up with young, speedy attackers? Dest and Robinson appear to have recovered from injury. Chris Richards or Miles Robinson will pair with Ream at centre back.

Midfield

Adams (Bournemouth), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen) and Weston McKennie (Juventus) have had strong seasons in top leagues. Sebastian Berhalter and Christian Roldan are decent backups.

Much depends on Christian Pulisic recovering his early-season form. Brenden Aaronson contributes consistency. Giovanni Reyna, Tim Weah and Alejandro Zendejas provide backup.

Forwards

Can Folarin Balogun (13 goals for AS Monaco this season) up his game? Ricardo Pepi finished the season strong (five-game scoring streak for PSV Eindhoven). Haji Wright tailed off (one goal since March 7 for Coventry).

US’s group matches at the World Cup

⚽ Friday, June 12: Group D: US vs Paraguay (Los Angeles), 9pm ET/01:00 GMT (on Saturday).
⚽ Friday, June 19: Group D: US vs Australia (Seattle), 3pm ET/19:00 GMT.
⚽ Thursday, June 25: Group D: US vs Turkiye (Los Angeles), 10pm ET/02:00 GMT (on Saturday).