USA squad for 2026 World Cup: Projecting potential USMNT roster for next FIFA tournament on home soil

The United States reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup with the second-youngest roster in the entire field.

After falling short against the Netherlands in the knockout stage, suffering a 3-1 defeat to the No. 8 team in the world, the United States has now refocused its sights towards the next major FIFA tournament.

In 2026, the United States will host the FIFA World Cup alongside fellow North American nations Mexico and Canada, and all eyes will be on how the U.S. performs on home soil. While the 2022 tournament was important in its own right, the 2026 World Cup is thought to be the real prize.

With that in mind, knowing a four-year cycle represents a very, very long time when it pertains to an athlete's professional life, here's how the current player pool projects out to that tournament, with a potential 23-man squad and starting lineup four years from now.

The theme of "youngest ever" for the #USMNT continues at this World Cup.

Today: the youngest USMNT lineup ever in a knockout game. pic.twitter.com/r8fuyFTvFY

— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) December 3, 2022

MORE: Defensive mistakes, lack of finishing cost the USA in loss to Netherlands

Predicted USA roster for 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup is still years away, and so much can happen between now and then. Here's how we see the USA roster breaking down with the way the player pool shakes out currently.

The predicted roster was created under the assumption of 23 places available for 2026 World Cup squads. Rosters for the 2022 World Cup featured 26 players, but it's unclear whether that was a permanent change or if it will revert back to the previous size. An additional three players were included at the bottom to indicate who would make the cut if the rosters were again expanded to 26 for the coming World Cup.

Age and caps current as of March 28, 2024 with the U.S. preparing for the Copa America on home soil.

* Started at least one match at the 2022 World Cup.

The following three players could make the cut if rosters remain expanded to 26 players for the 2026 World Cup.

Possible USA starting lineup for 2026 World Cup

Many of the 2022 World Cup starters project to be heavily involved four years from now.

The entire midfield returns, as the "MMA" trio of Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Tyler Adams are all built to last, and young enough to be entering their primes around that time. Gio Reyna has developed into a key starter in midfield for the USMNT as well, despite club struggles, and he will push the other three for a spot if all are fully fit.

At the back, there are two changes at center-back as Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has revived his game and proven quality both at Celtic and against Iran at the World Cup, projects as a starter alongside Chris Richards. Miles Robinson, who was thought to be a sure starter for the World Cup until an Achilles injury, has fallen far down the pecking order enough to be a backup.

Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are locked-in starters on the wing, while Brenden Aaronson and Cade Cowell will still very much be around to push for a roster spot. The strikers at the 2022 tournament fell flat, and while 19-year-old Ricardo Pepi seems to be developing well, the capture of 21-year-old Folarin Balogun likely slots him into projection for the long-term role, with Haji Wright and Josh Sargent also looking to earn a place.

Potential USA starting lineup in 2026 (4-3-3): M. Turner (GK) — A. Robinson, C. Richards, C. Carter-Vickers, S. Dest — W. McKennie, T. Adams, G. Reyna — C. Pulisic, Balogun, T. Weah.

Breakdown of possible USA roster for 2026 World Cup

Goalkeeper

At goalkeeper, the future is now with Matt Turner. Also enter young Gabriel Slonina, as the 18-year-old known as "Gaga" just secured a move to Chelsea and is thought to be one who could push for time despite his young age.

That leaves Ethan Horvath and Zack Steffen to battle for the third spot. While he seemed a first-choice option a few years ago, Steffen has tumbled down the ladder, now looking to impress on home soil with MLS side Colorado Rapids. Horvath has done well for himself in the last year or two, and nobody else seems to have stepped up into the conversation besides Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender who has yet to earn a cap despite being called into camp on four different occasions.

Defense

Set to be 38 at the time of the 2026 World Cup, surely Tim Ream won't be an option right? Yet at 36 years old, Ream remains the most consistent center-back option for the U.S. as they head to the Copa America, which is both an outstanding story of resilience and also a really big problem for Gregg Berhalter. Until someone shoves him out, or his performances decline, he has to be thought of as a realistic option for 2026 — he's earned as much.

Chris Richards has slowly gained valuable playing time at Crystal Palace, and while he has made some mistakes, the young defender is still highly thought of and likely to be a starter at this tournament. Miles Robinson, who missed the 2022 tournament due to injury but was a projected starter, is still 27 years old and remains a decent option.

Walker Zimmerman has struggled with injuries and some performance decline as he crosses the 30-year-old threshold, and doesn't seem to be as high up the pecking order as he was in 2022, while Erik Palmer-Brown seems to have fallen out of the picture as he struggles with a long-term injury.

At full-back, both Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest are part of the young core of this team and project to keep their starting jobs, although Joe Scally could push for Dest for his job if he continues to develop in Germany. 

Finding a backup for Jedi on the left has proven challenging, but Kristoffer Lund has emerged as the most trusted call-up. Sam Vines, DeJuan Jones and Shaq Moore all represent more uninspiring, domestic-based options for extra depth. Berhalter took five full-backs to Qatar this year, and that seemed one too many, so one was sacrificed on our projections for an extra center-back. 

Midfield

The United States did not have enough midfield depth at the World Cup, and it showed. Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah were too heavily relied on, and had no gas by the time the Round of 16 match against the Netherlands came around. So for 2026, we're reconfiguring the roster a bit.

The emergence of Gio Reyna as a strong midfield option makes the selection of a starting XI difficult if all four regulars are healthy, but that has been a rare occurrence in recent years.

There's a battle for the fifth midfield spot, as Johnny Cardoso is in as the backup to Tyler Adams at the No. 6, but Luca de la Torre has also established himself as a consistent player at multiple positions. Additionally, Malik Tillman is developing well at PSV after just missing out in 2022, and has become a consistent member of the squad both as a midfielder and a winger. Unfortunately, if all seven players are fully fit, there isn't room for everyone, leaving Gregg Berhalter with a choice — take an extra midfielder or a third striker. He can't have both on a 23-man roster.

Djordje Mihailovic can possibly push for a spot in the future but at the moment has to recover at Colorado Rapids from a failed year at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, while James Sands has fallen off the radar after moving back to NYCFC, as Gregg Berhalter continues to prefer those who play in Europe over those competing domestically. Others such as Gianluca Busio, Lennard Maloney, Paxten Aaronson, Benjamin Cremaschi, and Paxton Pomykal all have a chance at pushing into the picture but currently remain well outside.

Forward

The biggest deficit for the United States at the 2022 World Cup was up front at the striker position, clearly lacking a goalscoring threat through the middle. In steps Folarin Balogun who committed to the United States in May of 2023 and is presumed to be the immediate frontrunner at the striker position for the foreseeable future.

Ricardo Pepi, who just missed out in 2022 and is still just 19 years old, developing his game well in the Netherlands and has been established as the second option.

Jesus Ferreira was poor in his start against the Netherlands, and despite being young at just 23, his position is suddenly in jeopardy. Haji Wright did extremely well for himself in the March 2024 window during the CONCACAF Nations League, and has potentially squeezed his way in. Josh Sargent also remains heavily in the mix, unlucky to miss out on a spot in that very same March squad due to injury after logging a very strong club season with Norwich City.

Other options include Brandon Vazquez who has started life at Mexican club Monterrey very well, and Jordan Pefok who needs to develop consistency to remain a reliable option in a few years. Don't forget about 23-year-old Sebastian Soto, who has committed to the United States and had a cup of coffee in World Cup qualifying, although he's buried on the Austria Klagenfurt depth chart at the moment.

Out wide, there's no debating the places of the wingers in the current team, with Christian Pulisic leading the way and Tim Weah on the opposite flank. Gio Reyna seems to have his future in midfield, while Brenden Aaronson's struggles at Union Berlin leave his spot more in question than it once was. With Cade Cowell emerging at the club level after moving to Liga MX and starring for both the youth and senior sides at various points, he will be the one to push for one of the final spots in 2026.

One wide player to keep an eye on is Konrad de la Fuente who has fallen off a cliff in the last two years after leaving Barcelona in 2021, but is still just 22 years old and could push back into the mix with a revival in Europe, although time does seem to be running out.

Young players who could break into USMNT in 2026

While the above squad features mostly players who have in some way established themselves as players deserving of selection in the U.S. player pool, there are sure to be surprises in the long, four-year slog between now and the next World Cup. Here’s some players who have not yet made their presence known on an international stage but have every possibility of doing so soon.

Caden Clark (RB Leipzig)

By far the most well-known player on this list of youngsters, 19-year-old Clark was a regular for the New York Red Bulls for two years before moving to RB Leipzig in Germany. While his electric performances from 2021 took a slight dip in 2022, he's still considered a top young midfielder playing domestically.

He’s a do-it-all central midfield player who can play in McKennie’s or Musah’s position to help with progression, ball carrying, and possessional distribution, and will snatch a few goal contributions as well on occasion. He was already invited to USMNT camp back in December 2021, and was an unused substitute in the 1-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, so expect to see him get more looks over the next four years.

Malick Sanogo (Union Berlin)

Just 18 years old, the New York City-born striker plays for his father, former Ivory Coast international Boubacar Sanogo, on Union Berlin's youth team. He’s a rising star, if his youth team numbers are any indication, having scored an astonishing 11 goals in 10 Under-19 games for his German club this season. That’s nothing new, as he led all players in his age group in goals and assists through German’s youth league two years ago.

Sanogo has played for the U.S. youth setup, appearing in three friendlies in 2021, but he is also eligible for Germany and the Ivory Coast. If the U.S. can convince him to commit, Sanogo could be an electric young solution to their striker issues. He’ll be considered an extremely high priority dual-national for the U.S. national team, and one the coaching staff will be sure to woo.

Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht)

While Tyler Adams has developed into maybe the most important player in the U.S. lineup, he needs cover. Enter 21-year-old Taylor Booth who hails from Utah and spent significant time in the Bayern Munich youth system before moving to Dutch side Utrecht in the summer of 2022.

He has two goals and two assists from the defensive midfield position this season in the Eredivisie, all coming in a two-week span just before the 2022 World Cup break. He is a true box-to-box midfielder and can play in Adams’s role or slide forward to play in the McKennie spot. He is sure to get a look sooner rather than later.

Taylor also has an 18-year-old brother Zach Booth who plays for the Leicester City academy who could also get a look if things pan out.

Italo Jenkins (Atlanta United)

At just 17 years old, Italo Jenkins still has a long way to go before becoming a true option for the national team, but as 2026 draws closer, and the U.S. continues to lack a true striker, he could be given a chance out of necessity.

A big, physically imposing striker, Jenkins plays in the youth system for his hometown club Atlanta United and has proven a true goalscoring machine at all youth levels he's tackled. He could be a young option to watch moving forward, with both Ferreira and Pepi previously breaking into the setup as teenagers.

Touch and hit! 🚀

Italo Jenkins scores his 1st goal for the @USYNT U-15s vs. Poland! 🇺🇸⚽️ pic.twitter.com/1nGtzBNmZW

— ATLUTD Academy (@AcademyATLUTD) October 23, 2019

Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union)

Union fans will know McGlynn well, but for those not as familiar, the 19-year-old midfielder has become a critical piece of one of the best MLS teams already. He played over 1,000 minutes last season, including a start in the MLS Cup final, scoring a goal and assisting three more. He's an exceptional set-piece taker, given that duty for the U.S. U-19 team, and has scored three goals in 14 appearances for the side.

With midfield depth lacking behind the "MMA" trio, it wouldn't be surprising in the slightest to see McGlynn brought into the setup and given a chance to shine.

Kobe Hernandez-Foster (Hamarkameratene)

Once considered a massive left-back youth prospect within the USYNT setup, Hernandez-Foster moved from LA Galaxy to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2020 with the world at his feet, but it's all come apart since then. Now 20 years old, Hernandez-Foster left Wolfsburg this past winter, falling all the way to Norwegian Eliteserien club Hamarkameratene.

There, the youngster has become a full starter, and if he can work hard to leap back into the conversation, he could end up with a look with the senior team this cycle. The U.S. is notoriously thin at left-back, with basically nobody behind Antonee 'Jedi' Robinson on the depth chart, and necessity could see the U.S. team give him a chance — if he earns it.