Pochettino Defends USA World Cup Squad, Calls Omission Questions Disrespectful
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino named his 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, announcing the selections from the roof of Pier 17 at New York City's South Street Seaport, with the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop. When pressed on notable absences, Pochettino declined to engage, saying that dwelling on players left out was "very disrespectful" to those who made the squad. "That was my decision to pick that 26 and now we need to respect it," he said.
Among the inclusions drawing attention is midfielder Gio Reyna, who made just four starts for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach this season - none after Dec. 19 - yet retains Pochettino's confidence as a "special player." Reyna, son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, was nearly sent home from the 2022 World Cup by then-coach Gregg Berhalter over a reported lack of effort. Also named was midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, 25, son of the former coach, who made his senior national team debut last June and has established himself as the squad's primary corner-kick taker. Winger Alejandro Zendejas earned inclusion after missing the March roster due to a knee injury suffered last fall.
Three players absent from March's friendly matches returned to the fold: defender Sergiño Dest, midfielder Tyler Adams, and forward Haji Wright, all of whom had been sidelined by injuries. Midfielders Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann, both of whom appeared on the March roster, did not survive the final cuts. Luna, who featured in 17 of 18 international matches in the prior year, missed the March camp with a knee injury and could not reclaim his place. Pochettino framed the selection as the product of more than 18 months of evaluation. "It's impossible to be fair with everyone, but we seem to make the best decision to be competitive," he said. Three additional players are unavailable through injury: midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who underwent right ankle surgery; forward Patrick Agyemang, sidelined with a torn right Achilles; and defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, still recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in October.
The United States open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at 9 p.m. ET, a match that will stream free on Tubi. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, runs from June 11 through July 19, 2026, with the final scheduled at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches will be broadcast across FOX and FS1, with every game also available to stream via the FOX Sports app.
