Pulisic and McKennie Lead Star-Studded USMNT Squad for High-Stakes Clashes Against Belgium and Portugal
United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has selected 27 players for upcoming March international matches against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta, as announced by the team on Tuesday.
Featuring USMNT stalwarts Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, these March exhibitions represent a crucial chance for the team to measure itself against the toughest competition the USMNT has encountered since Pochettino assumed control as head coach in 2025. Additionally, the March international break serves as the last opportunity for players to make their case, with the Argentine tactician having previously pledged to reveal his World Cup squad in May ahead of June friendlies versus Senegal and Germany.
The March international window will also mark the USMNT's first appearance in its new player-designed World Cup uniforms, after revealing both home and away designs on Monday.
Tactically, attention will focus on Pochettino's system choice to determine if he continues with the 3-5-2 formation, which delivered the USMNT four victories over Japan, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay during the autumn, plus a stalemate with Ecuador, following the abandonment of the former four-defender setup.
Absent from the squad was German-American dual-citizen defender Noahkai Banks, who has delivered an impressive campaign with FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga despite being only 19 years old. After previously playing for the U.S. at junior levels, ESPN confirmed on Monday that he opted to skip the USMNT gathering, with Germany pursuing his allegiance.
View the complete USMNT squad for March listed below.
USMNT March Roster: International Friendlies vs. Belgium, Portugal
USMNT March Roster: International Friendlies vs. Belgium, Portugal
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire FC), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC) and Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse FC), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic FC)
Midfielders: Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Cardoso (Atlético de Madrid), Weston McKennie (Juventus FC), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough FC), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique de Lyonnais), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Olympique de Marseille)
A massive March awaits.
Mauricio Pochettino has selected his 27-man roster for upcoming matches against Belgium and Portugal!#NeverChaseReality | @ATT pic.twitter.com/7dBd73E2oL