Pochettino Drops World Cup Roster Bombshell: Fringe Players Face Make-or-Break Moment
United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino stated that it would be "challenging" for players currently outside the USMNT setup to earn a spot in his 2026 World Cup roster, with just four exhibition games left before the tournament kicks off against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.
The 53-year-old coach informed media on Thursday that he and his coaching staff have evaluated approximately 70 players since assuming his position in 2024, but it would require something extraordinary for any fresh faces to secure a place in the 26-player squad that will compete as co-hosts with Canada and Mexico in this summer's World Cup.
"We are approaching the World Cup," Pochettino explained. "It's accurate, it's going to be challenging to introduce some fresh players, because I believe we lack time. However, we already had the opportunity to evaluate all the players over eighteen months. I believe we have a clear understanding. Now it's about [hoping] our players will be healthy and in excellent condition for us to choose the appropriate players."
Earlier, Pochettino had indicated that he would select the same squad for exhibitions against Senegal and Germany and the World Cup to prevent any disappointment for players eliminated in the final preparation camp. Nevertheless, he will have an excellent chance to evaluate some borderline players in March, with Atlanta-hosted exhibitions against Belgium and Portugal planned.
"It's an excellent chance in March," he stated. "The concept is that the World Cup will begin in March, when we [are] all united, because it's time to demonstrate like we were demonstrating in the previous camp [in the autumn]—our character, our style of play in the manner we want to execute in the World Cup."
Tyler Adams, Ricardo Pepi Race for March Return
Tyler Adams, Ricardo Pepi Race for March Return
While the USMNT coaching staff will want to narrow down the squad for March and beyond, some crucial injured players may require both camps to evaluate their form and fitness before the tournament.
For March, Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams is expected to be unavailable as he rehabilitates from a knee injury, despite being among the probable players to feature in World Cup matches during the summer. PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi faces similar uncertainty for March, after suffering a fractured forearm while netting his eighth goal of the Eredivisie campaign in a 5–1 victory over Excelsior.
Despite the arm injury, speculation about a possible England transfer for Pepi continues, with Fulham among the clubs reportedly showing interest in the former FC Dallas academy product.
"We'll observe how he's going to return and begin to play and to execute," Pochettino commented about Pepi. "Certainly, he's a player that is [on] our watchlist. Hope he can be healthy."
Marching into 2026. pic.twitter.com/xN6wwJvj6d
Simultaneously, there could be some comebacks for players anticipated to be on the World Cup roster who were omitted from the November squad for different reasons. Leading that group is Weston McKennie, who has discovered outstanding form with Juventus since Luciano Spalletti replaced Igor Tudor as manager.
"It's excellent that he is participating regularly, being very reliable now at Juventus," Pochettino said about the 27-year-old, whose deal expires with the Italian club at season's end.
"Yes, we are pleased that our player executes and plays in a very reliable, very regular manner … As I have mentioned from the start, the task is to evaluate all the players that we already recognize, how to combine the 26 players, considering, naturally, always the World Cup."