The U.S. roster for the 2026 World Cup is official. Technically, it isn’t yet final; it could still change in the event of an injury between now and June 11. But on Tuesday in Manhattan, head coach Mauricio Pochettino unveiled the 26-man squad that he’ll take to the tournament next month.And so, the time has come to pick it apart.There was one major surprise, the omission of midfielder Tanner Tessmann. There were a few intriguing inclusions, including attacking midfielders Gio Reyna and Alejandro Zendejas. But the roster also sparked discussions that went beyond individuals, and questions about how Pochettino plans to approach games in the group stage and beyond.To answer those questions, we convened The Athletic’s reporters covering the team to analyze Pochettino’s choices.Describe the squad in three wordsBushnell: Talented but unbalanced.Tenorio: Hyped beyond reality.Cardenas: Athletic but limited.Bogert: Time is now.Davies: Capable, underrated, dangerous.Gio Reyna is headed back to the World Cup with the USMNT (Andrew J. Clark / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)Who should feel luckiest to be there?Bushnell: Gio Reyna. Not that I disagree with his inclusion, but he simply hasn’t earned his place on this 26-man squad over the past couple years. (And I think he understands this; he’ll approach this World Cup with a humility that he didn’t have four years ago.)Tenorio: Reyna. It isn’t close. Four years ago he created issues in Qatar when he wasn’t a starter — even though he shouldn’t have been. Since then he’s played a total of 2,180 minutes with Dortmund, Nottingham Forest and Borussia Mönchengladbach. He has three goals since the start of the 2023-24 season and 14 starts. So it’s a hope and a prayer that he shows flashes of what he projected as a teenager five to six years ago.Cardenas: Reyna is incredibly lucky to be in the squad. And don’t put him in the same category of player as say James Rodríguez, who despite his club form has to be included. Reyna’s sample size with the national team is so small. I don’t subscribe to the idea that Reyna has skills that no one else in the pool has. If that’s the case, it speaks volumes about the American player’s lack of technical quality. Now, I have seen a more humble version of Reyna of late.Bogert: No one is ‘lucky’ to be here, but Alejandro Zendejas getting the call may have been a surprise. Not because he didn’t earn it on merit, he has been phenomenal for Club América the last few years, but it seemed Pochettino didn’t rate him. He had been called up for one of the last five USMNT squads, left out of each of the last three.Davies: Everyone! I know the question is usually looking for one name, but playing in a home World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Diego Luna was a big part of the USMNT after Mauricio Pochettino took charge but missed the cut for the World Cup (Dustin Markland / Getty Images)Who should feel most aggrieved to be left out?Bushnell: Diego Luna. Not because he’s the best player omitted, but because he earned a place, man. He scrapped his way into the national team picture. In a way, he helped revive the team with his unceasing intensity and effort. It almost feels like Pochettino used him throughout 2025 to deliver a message to the “regulars,” and Luna did his job, and now that there’s no more use for him, there’s no reward.Tenorio: Tanner Tessmann. He was involved in six camps under Pochettino, one of 14 players of 71 called in by Pochettino to do so, and was best sitting in front of the back line as a deep-lying midfielder. Going into the roster decisions, the debate was about whether Tessmann would start next to Adams, not whether he’d be included on the roster. His flexibility to play center back was an added bonus. After 22 starts and 29 appearances in Ligue 1 and another nine appearances and five starts in Europa League, to be left off completely was surprising. Just four central midfielders added a layer to that surprise.Cardenas: I feel for Luna, but he clearly had a temporary role under Pochettino. Tessmann’s exclusion is difficult to understand. Versatility is a major plus at a World Cup and Tessmann can play in multiple positions. He has size that can be an asset in the middle of the field. He’s a technical player, risk-averse, but he tends to be reliable on the ball. Pochettino has deliberately weakened his central midfield depth with this decision.Bogert: Any one of Luna, Tessmann or Aidan Morris is the correct answer. I’ll lean Luna, given he played 17 of 18 USMNT games in 2025 and not only performed well, but was a culture setter in terms of his competitiveness. Though it remains a shock neither Tessmann nor Morris got the call. That central midfield group is light.Davies: It is never easy to be left off a World Cup roster, especially when you’ve been so involved with the group and worked your entire life to make this ultimate dream come to fruition, but Luna has to be absolutely shattered. Pochettino used him as the example when describing the exact mentality he wants in this USMNT. Luna broke his nose in a match and refused to be substituted. That moment surprised his coach and made a proper impression. After the match Poch mentioned his bravery and character. When your national team coach says your relentless fighting spirit is what he values and that everyone else needs to show that quality to play in his team, it feels like a safe bet that you’re going to be in the final 26.Who will help support Tyler Adams in the defensive midfield role? (Tim Warner / Getty Images)This squad doesn’t have enough…Bushnell: Defensive midfielders. I’m baffled by Pochettino’s decision to take 10 defenders but only four players who fit naturally in the two more defensive-minded midfield spots. Even if Tessmann wasn’t healthy, Morris or someone else had to be included for depth purposes. Tessmann’s absence creates both a hole in the starting 11 and some nightmare scenarios in the event of an injury or suspension to Adams.Tenorio: Yes, it’s the above. I was surprised to see Joe Scally included in a team that already had Alex Freeman and plenty of depth at fullback otherwise. If you wanted a purely defensive right back, then maybe it’s Freeman that loses out? Sacrificing a midfielder is risky.Cardenas: Quality. Yes, just general quality, especially at goalkeeper. But my opinion here isn’t limited solely to how this team looks from a technical standpoint. This version of the U.S. shows flashes of quality before better and more organized teams (see: Belgium, Portugal) eventually figure them out. A team with quality is nothing if it lacks the mental fortitude to see out tight games. I’m not convinced that this U.S. team can win a chess match at the World Cup.Bogert: Defensive midfield and it ain’t close. Personally, I view Weston McKennie’s best role in this system a more attacking one but he is only one of four players who can play at the base of midfield next to Adams. Will he start there? If Adams cannot play literally every single minute of the tournament, there are going to be issues. There may be issues even if he can.Davies: Center back depth and a top-shelf keeper. Chris Richards is the best center back of the bunch but he is coming into camp with a sprained ankle forcing him to miss a European cup final. I have a lot of respect for the options. I played with a young Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie in Philadelphia, and their careers have taken off since. They’ve been in Europe for a number of years now where they’ve developed composure and reading the game. I believe they are capable of stepping up and producing.At a World Cup though, it’s about proven depth and experience at the highest level. Tim Ream has been such a reliable presence for this group, but he’s 38 and starting to show signs of it. In goal, the U.S. historically had giants like Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Tony Meola. Absolute legends of the game. Those guys could steal a game on the biggest stage. I’m not sure this team has that level of certainty between the pipes.Christian Pulisic figures to be among the U.S. penalty takers, should the Americans find themselves in a World Cup shootout (Brett Carlsen / Getty Images)Who are your first five penalty takers?Bushnell: Folarin Balogun; Christian Pulisic; two of Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright and Reyna, depending who’s on the field; and … Antonee Robinson, apparently?Tenorio: Balogun is 17-of-25 on penalties in his career. I don’t love that stat. Both Wright and Pepi have good records, so in a team without a lot of history, you have to plan for that. My five: Wright, Pepi, Adams, Robinson and Pulisic.Cardenas: Pulisic, Balogun, Pepi, Tillman, Wright.Bogert: Balogun, Pulisic, Tillman, McKennie, Weah. Obviously it depends who is on the field for that moment, particularly Zendejas and Reyna, but also if Wright and Pepi are then they’re good shouts too.Davies: You need penalty takers with confidence first and foremost. Technique matters, composure matters, and that killer mentality matters but belief is the most important ingredient from the spot. In those massive pressure moments, I’d feel very good with any of these guys stepping up. From 12 yards, you have to believe you’re scoring before you even start your approach.Manager Mauricio Pochettino will look to guide the USMNT to new heights on the World Cup stage (Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)How far can they go?Bushnell: How far can they go? Semifinals. I still believe, albeit without much evidence, that this team’s ceiling is quite high. But I think the floor is also low; and the 50th-percentile outcome is what it always is for the U.S. at a men’s World Cup: a round-of-16 exit.Tenorio: How far a team can go in a knockout is a silly exercise because there is always that dream scenario. Realistically, I think round of 16 would be a success for the team I’ve watched the last seven years. Anything past that is a bonus.Cardenas: I’m not going to predict a historic run this summer. Having been beaten badly by Belgium and Portugal was a reality check. I do believe Pochettino’s side will have a positive first round and will win their group. But from there the team’s weaknesses and mental frailties could be exposed. There will not be an overwhelmingly favorable matchup in the knockouts. Round of 16, as per usual.Bogert: If they don’t get to the round of 16, it is an unmitigated failure. Truthfully, if you asked this question three years ago, I would have said anything less than the quarterfinals is a failure, but expectations have soured since. Unfortunately, a round-of-32 exit is not out of the question.Davies: I think this team can get to the quarterfinals and if they do, that alone could lift the nation. Typically the host nation in a World Cup plays above their means because the belief, the energy, the momentum can carry the team further than people expect. The quarters should be a realistic target. But once you get there, why stop dreaming? You’re just one performance away from a historical semifinal. South Korea did it in 2002. Why not us!?No matter the formation, Folarin Balogun is expected to start the World Cup opener for the USMNT at striker (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)Who is your starting XI v Paraguay?Bushnell (4-2-3-1): Freese; Dest, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson; Adams, Berhalter; McKennie, Tillman, Pulisic; Balogun(But to be clear, if it were a different opponent in the opener, my 11 would be different.)Tenorio: (5-2-2-1): Freese; Weah, McKenzie, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson; Adams, Roldan; Pulisic, McKennie; BalogunCardenas (3-5-2): Freese; Richards, Ream, A. Robinson; Weah, Adams, Tillman, McKennie, Dest; Pulisic, BalogunBogert (3-4-2-1): Freese; McKenzie, Richards, Ream; Dest, McKennie, Adams, A. Robinson; Weah, Pulisic; BalogunDavies (3-4-2-1): Freese; McKenzie, Richards, Ream; Dest, McKennie, Adams, A. Robinson; Pulisic, Weah, Balogun