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The U.S. men's national team is scheduled to unveil its official 2026 FIFA World Cup roster on May 26 at the Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City, marking the team's first-ever live World Cup roster announcement. By that point, head coach Mauricio Pochettino will have finalized the 26 players who will have the honor of representing the United States on home turf.
That squad will have a brief opportunity to gel during late tune-up friendlies against Senegal and Germany at the end of the month before diving straight into action, kicking off their World Cup campaign in Group D against Paraguay on June 12.
As every fringe player makes a final push to capture Pochettino's attention, some have stumbled at the worst possible moment, while many others are hitting their stride at just the right time.
Here's our stock up, stock down breakdown for the USMNT.
USMNT Stock Up
Sergiño Dest
Sergiño Dest is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The standout fullback for PSV Eindhoven is nearing his return from injury, expected back on the pitch in time to not only feature in the final stretch of Eredivisie matches as PSV wrap up a commanding title run in the Dutch top flight, but also build up to full fitness ahead of this summer's marquee tournament.
The 25-year-old has been on the sidelines for the past six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury on March 7, having to be helped off the field while holding his left hamstring in agony. As a consequence, he missed the March international window and was unable to contribute as the USMNT delivered stunning defeats to heavyweights Belgium and Portugal.
"The first couple weeks [of injury], I did two sessions a day [of recovery]," Dest said in a YouTube video posted by U.S. Soccer on April 25. "I said to myself, 'Hey, I want to be there at the World Cup, so I have to do everything in my power to be able to come back ASAP.'
"So, that's what I did. I worked really hard, had long sessions, and now I'm here. I'm almost back. It will be a count of eight weeks in total. I saved some weeks to get myself fit and to be able to perform and be there for the national team."
While no official return date has been confirmed for Dest, it could come as early as Saturday—exactly eight weeks after his injury—potentially earning him a brief substitute appearance against Ajax at Johan Cruijff Arena.
Dest was an integral part of the USMNT's 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar, starting all four matches at right-back, and if he can fully regain his fitness, he stands a strong chance of earning a spot in Pochettino's starting eleven.
"I am always hungry to be back with the national team," he added. "I always want to be there with the boys...That feeling, going onto the pitch, with that jersey on, hearing the anthem, that is something really special."
Timothy Tillman
LAFC midfielder and USMNT long-shot World Cup candidate Timothy Tillman is mounting one final effort to catch Pochettino's eye.
Tillman impressed in LAFC's 2–1 victory over Liga MX powerhouse Deportivo Toluca on Wednesday in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, scoring the opening goal of the evening at BMO Field.
The 27-year-old—who was the driving force behind his side's attacking intensity throughout the night—slotted a bouncing ball from just inside the 18-yard box past goalkeeper Luis García in the 51st minute to give LAFC the confidence they needed to seal the win, despite the reigning Liga MX champions dominating possession with nearly 65% of the ball across the match.
Tillman was not included in Pochettino's March international camp, with his most recent appearance for the Stars and Stripes coming in the November window. He came on as a substitute in the 2–1 win over Paraguay on Nov. 15 and started in the 5–1 victory against Uruguay on Nov. 18. Those outings account for two of his three total caps with the national team.
USMNT Stock Down
Tim Ream
Since picking up a groin injury against New York City FC on April 18, Charlotte FC center back and seasoned USMNT veteran Tim Ream has sat out three matches—all of which ended in defeats for the Crown—and is now expected to miss even more games.
Ream is set to miss at least Saturday's league fixture against the New England Revolution after experiencing a "setback" in his recovery, according to Charlotte reporter Will Palaszczuk on Thursday.
Although the 38-year-old could potentially return by next week for the Crown's clash against FC Cincinnati on May 9, this latest development only adds to growing concerns about his overall fitness heading into the World Cup.
Ream appeared to be outmatched on several occasions against younger, quicker opponents during March's international window, even conceding a handball in the second half of the match against Belgium, which led to the visitors' third of five total goals. The veteran is still expected to feature in Pochettino's squad, but how effectively he can shore up the U.S. backline on soccer's biggest stage remains an open question.
Josh Sargent
A fierce striker battle is currently unfolding within the USMNT setup, and Josh Sargent appears to be on the losing end.
The high-profile MLS newcomer, who made his league debut with Toronto FC on March 14 following a headline-grabbing $22 million transfer from EFL Championship club Norwich City, isn't performing poorly as such—it's simply that everyone around him is playing at an exceptional level.
Sargent has contributed two goals and an assist across seven appearances for Toronto; however, those numbers pale in comparison to the output of AS Monaco's Folarin Balogun and PSV's Ricardo Pepi, both of whom simply cannot seem to stop finding the net.
Balogun scored in eight consecutive matches, a run that kicked off on Feb. 21, only coming to an end this past Saturday in a 2–2 draw with Toulouse. Pepi has netted five goals since that same February date, including a brace on April 23 in a dominant 6–1 rout of PEC Zwolle. Between the two of them, they have combined for 25 league goals this season and are the frontrunners for Pochettino's No. 9 starting berth.
Beyond those two, Coventry City's Haji Wright is also staking a strong claim, having played a pivotal role in the Championship club's recent promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 2001. All of this suggests that Sargent could find himself watching the World Cup from home come summertime.