Luna out, Reyna in: What the leaked USMNT World Cup roster says about Pochettino’s plans
David Martinez
Host · Writer
LOS ANGELES — The United States men's national soccer team was supposed to have its biggest roster reveal in years Tuesday afternoon under the lights of a nationally televised FOX special.
Instead, the internet got there first.
Just days before Mauricio Pochettino was scheduled to officially unveil his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, The Guardian leaked what is believed to be the United States’ final roster for the tournament on home soil.
The leaked roster leans heavily on defensive versatility, positional flexibility and players already trusted within Pochettino’s system, even if recent club form suggested others may have had stronger late cases to make the squad.
Here is the reported 26-man roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Matt Turner
Defenders (10): Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty
Midfielders (4): Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Cristian Roldan
Attacking midfielders/wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah, Alejandro Zendejas
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright
The makeup of the squad says plenty about where Pochettino sees this team heading into June.
Rather than constructing a midfield-heavy group designed to dominate possession, the leaked selections point toward a more transition-oriented side built around athletic defending, pressing and vertical attacking moments through players like Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Malik Tillman.
The most notable inclusion may be Gio Reyna, whose club season at Borussia Mönchengladbach never truly stabilized. Reyna played just 520 minutes this season, but Pochettino repeatedly signaled over the last several months that talent and trust outweighed consistency at club level.
Reyna’s inclusion feels symbolic of Pochettino’s broader approach. Throughout the buildup to the World Cup, he has consistently emphasized familiarity with his system and belief in players who can change games in moments. Reyna still offers that unpredictability, even if his recent seasons have been interrupted by injuries and inconsistency.
The same logic likely explains the inclusion of Alejandro Zendejas. The Club América winger had seen limited minutes under Pochettino, but his club form became impossible to ignore. Zendejas enters the summer with 12 goals and seven assists in Liga MX play, providing a direct attacking option the U.S. otherwise lacks outside of Pulisic and Weah.
If Zendejas and Reyna represent Pochettino betting on upside, the omissions of Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann illustrate the fine margins that shaped the final cuts.
Luna’s absence stands out most.
The 22-year-old had become one of the emotional drivers of the team during qualifying buildup and spring camps, earning praise for his defensive intensity and fearless attacking mentality. His recent return to form with Real Salt Lake only strengthened the case for inclusion. But as the roster became more defense-heavy, creativity from deeper positions appears to have taken priority over carrying another aggressive attacking midfielder.
Tessmann’s omission may ultimately reshape the way the United States plays more than any other roster decision.
Without the Olympique Lyonnais midfielder — who had looked like Tyler Adams’ most natural midfield partner — the U.S. suddenly looks thin centrally. Reports suggest Pochettino could lean into a single-pivot midfield anchored by Tyler Adams, allowing Weston McKennie to operate higher up the field.
That would explain the extra defensive depth.
The leaked roster is packed with players capable of covering multiple positions across the back line. Joe Scally, Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman all offer tactical flexibility, while veterans like Tim Ream and Miles Robinson provide stability around an injury concern involving Chris Richards.
Even the goalkeeper group reflects the transition underway within the program.
Matt Turner remains the veteran presence, but first-time selections Matt Freese and Chris Brady signal the next generation beginning to take hold.
Half the roster reportedly consists of first-time World Cup selections. That blend between established veterans and emerging contributors may end up defining the United States more than any single omission.
Because while fans will debate Luna, Tessmann or Reyna over the next several days, the bigger takeaway from the leaked roster is that Pochettino prioritized cohesion over experimentation.
He largely stayed loyal to the core group that carried the team through the last nine months.
Now comes the harder part: proving that trust can translate into a World Cup run on home soil.
