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National Writer: Charles Boehm

USMNT roster: Pochettino sets stage for final World Cup auditions

Charles Boehm

The US men’s national team are mere days away from their final gathering before a FIFA World Cup summer, this month’s high-profile friendlies against Belgium and Portugal at Atlanta United's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

There’s now just a matter of weeks to go before that massive, long-awaited tournament on home soil kicks off against Paraguay in Southern California on June 12.

And still head coach Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t have full availability of all his players due to a wide spectrum of injuries and fitness concerns, with regulars like Tyler Adams, Diego Luna, Haji Wright and Sergiño Dest left off the March roster released on Tuesday morning.

It’s a recurring reality of the international game, by now familiar to ‘Poch’ and his staff. So, regardless of who’s in uniform, they expect the same high level displayed in last autumn’s wins over Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay, probably the team’s best outings under Pochettino.

“Most important is to try to detect the right selection, to be very, very close to performing the way that we perform in the last two camps,” the Argentine manager told reporters after his squad was unveiled, noting there are 10 personnel changes from then to now.

“October and November were a very good example that, maybe with a different roster, different names, but the team performed. And what we need to do is to have the possibility to see [that] again in this camp.”

Representing the @USMNT in friendlies against Belgium and Portugal. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/VghaPkPY9V
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 17, 2026

Questions remain

When they congregate at U.S. Soccer’s brand-new National Training Center, the gleaming facility in exurban Atlanta named after chief benefactor and ATLUTD owner Arthur Blank, Pochettino & Co. must swiftly gather their firsthand evaluations of players they haven’t worked with up close in some four months, then fashion lineups that can stand toe-to-toe with two of Europe’s most talented contenders.

Is the Tim Ream-Chris Richards center-back pairing still the best choice at the heart of defense? Can anyone challenge Matt Freese’s hold on the starting goalkeeper job? Will Weston McKennie translate his superb form at Juventus to the national team? Does Christian Pulisic remain the attacking nexus despite a recent paucity of goal contributions at AC Milan? And which strikers will make the cut?

“It's an art, because every single player is different and can add different things to the team,” said Pochettino. “We cannot follow some rule, because I think it's not fair to judge all in the same way. But I think it’s two different things that we appreciate, and we expect for the players to add to the national team.

“Because all are completely different – different character, different profiles, different quality, different talent.”

Last chance saloon

Peruse this roster, then consider the notable absences – which also extends to FC Dallas product Alejandro Zendejas, left out despite his ongoing productivity for LIGA MX giants Club América – and the difficulty of the numbers game facing the coach and his players becomes evident.

The USMNT called in 27 for this month’s camp. Though it’s not yet official, FIFA is expected to limit World Cup rosters to 26 players. Poch previously said he’d prefer not to call anyone in for pre-World Cup friendlies vs. Senegal and Germany who hasn’t already made the cut for the tournament itself.

The writing on the wall: A handful of those who’ll gather in ATL are staring at a final audition, in addition to the ongoing search for chemistry among those who’ll work together on the pitch.

“Decisions in this roster, what I can tell you [is] that everyone is saying that maybe is the last opportunity, but it's not closed,” said Pochettino. “It's open. This is still open. It's not the final roster.

“You can see injuries. You can see combinations,” he added. “The combinations and the dynamic of the group can change, depending on the selection. That is so important for me.”

Key names return

Motioning with an invisible ruler in his hand, Pochettino admitted there can be no hard-and-fast, objective standard for inclusion, because each player carries their own context, their own skill set and relationship to the collective, above and beyond their current status at club level.

That’s why New York City FC academy product Gio Reyna and Orlando City alum Alex Freeman are back with the group despite precious little playing time with their European clubs, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Villarreal CF, respectively. Luna didn’t get the call despite making his 2026 MLS debut for Real Salt Lake last weekend as he works his way back from a nagging knee issue.

“The most important is what the player can add to the team,” noted Poch, “and if he can be the right player to help the team to perform.”

Charles Boehm - @cboehm