It’s bigger; it’s badder; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT’S TOO MUCH FOR MR. INCREDI—sorry, wrong monologue. I’m back, folks, and I’m primed and ready to give you my unfiltered stream of consciousness from the (technically) biggest FIFA World Cup in human history. Is it only the biggest on a technicality because they expanded from 32 to 48 teams? Yes. Do I agree with that decision? It’s too early for me to tell you that; you’ll figure it out along the way. The takes are about to be HOT. 

That’s all beside the point, anyway: We’ll be getting to our tournament preview in the coming weeks. Today, we’ve got more pressing matters to sound off on — namely, the USMNT’s official roster announcement. Generally, I don’t think there’s a world where this roster needs to be much different. The core players I wanted to see are on there, and they should be taking most of the minutes. That said, I have thoughts — heck, I’ve even got thoughts about my thoughts (oh, he’s so meta). How much time do you have? Double it. Sit down. HEAR ME OUT. 

I spent a lot of time this morning considering what the best way to share my grievances about this roster would be. Should I give a speech in the town square for all the people to gather and cheer at? Should I send a raven to every corner of the map? Or, like USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, should I simply send this pertinent information to you via email? We’ll stick with article form, and we’ll go through the whole dang roster. 

Oh, Wow

Imagine Owen Wilson read that section title to you out loud, with maximum bewilderment in his voice. Now, do the impression. Poch was always going to have to make a few big calls when shaping his roster — you can’t pick the 26 best players from a nation this size without leaving a few deserving names off the list, after all. That said, you could argue — and I will — that he threw a few questionable names on there in the end. So, let’s look at the surprise inclusions. In my eyes, there are only two major head-turners, and I’ll start with the least controversial of the pair. 

Winger Alejandro Zendejas’ first call-up in 2026 was the call to come to the World Cup after getting just two caps in 2025 and a total of just six appearances while Poch has been in charge of the USMNT. He hasn’t had a particularly good or bad season with Club América, but his unique profile and experience make him a valuable player on this roster from a versatility standpoint. He’s a natural fit at winger on a team with few options in that area and can slide into attacking midfield in a pinch as well. Sure, I was surprised to see him, but I’ve talked myself into being okay with the inclusion. 

This next one, on the other hand, I’m still trying to decide on. 

You get one guess. Oh, you immediately knew it was Gio Reyna? The son of former national team standout Claudio Reyna has only got 520 minutes played for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga this season, scoring a single goal and making relatively little impact. We’ve seen flashes of talent from him in the past — notably in that match against Mexico when he dribbled past half the team — but distant flashes should not be enough to earn a spot on a World Cup roster, especially when plenty of talented players are in considerably better form. 

The list of notable exclusions is much longer than the surprise inclusions, a point that speaks to the growing depth of the USMNT player pool. Midfielders Tanner Tessman (Lyon) and Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) have long been on the outside looking in at a talented midfield group, as has Houston Dynamo’s attacking midfield ace Jack McGlynn. Goalkeepers Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids) and Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati) have all fallen in the pecking order as well, while injuries to the likes of Johnny Cardoso (Atletico Madrid) and Patrick Agyemang (Derby County) made a couple hard decisions a little easier for the gaffer.

And that’s it. Those are the only names missing.

PSYCH! HOW CAN YOU NOT BRING DIEGO LUNA? While the attacking star hasn’t played a ton of minutes in recent matches for RSL, he had one of the strongest cases to be included of any player in the pool. Not only has he made the third-most appearances under Pochettino (17) and played nearly 1,000 minutes during that time, he’s got a skillset and approach to the game that is entirely unique. Even if he comes in with a bit of a knock, he’s a game changer who was willing to keep playing when he broke his nose — and immediately provided an assist after he stemmed the bleeding.

You literally left a guy who gave you his blood, sweat, and tears, Poch. That was the kind of spirit we needed. That’s what we all wanted to see. You better win the whole dang thing; that’d be the only acceptable justice for Mr. Luna. 

Ka, Chow

Has it been too long since the Owen Wilson joke, or is this the perfect callback? (It’s the latter.) With the biggest surprises covered, it’s time to look at this squad’s biggest standouts, and take a stab at putting together a starting lineup. We’ll go from the back to the front, covering all our bases and giving some fun commentary the whole way. 

Poch likes himself a 4-2-3-1, but his versatile roster gives him the flexibility to be creative should he so choose. The rumor mill seems to think Matt Freese will be starting in goal, but Matt Turner’s prior experience gives me slightly more faith in the Revs shot stopper. I don’t think there’s an obvious starter here, so Poch will have to decide this one on his own. 

In front of them, we’ll almost certainly see Sergiño Dest return to action on the right flank, though Timothy Weah made some progress as a right back in the last few international windows. Antonee Robinson stands out as one of the best left backs in US history, and an intriguing mix of center back options is led by 38-year-old Tim Ream (whom I will affectionately refer to as Father Tim from here on out). Crystal Palace standout Chris Richards comes into camp with an ankle injury, but I haven’t heard anything to suggest he won’t be playing anyway. Keep an eye on that one, though. 

Now, this is where my own personal preferences might clash with Poch’s. I think Weston McKennie is best used as a left winger or attacking midfielder after becoming a Swiss army knife at Juventus, freeing up a midfield spot next to the undisputed starting CDM and likely captain of this team, Tyler Adams. You could go for a box-to-box, connect the field type in either Sebastian Berhalter or Cristian Roldan, or you could rely on Adams to hold down the middle and throw Brendan Aaronson and Malik Tillman in there to get a bit more attacking power in the middle of the park.

But here’s my idea: Adams and Roldan in the pivot, with Christian Pulisic at the 10. Then, McKennie on the left, Tillman on the right, and Haji Wright up top. Let Pulisic, McKennie, and Tillman operate like a trio of 10s in that line of three, get Roldan to be the connecting piece that allows them to get creative, and use Wright’s natural finishing instincts as a target to push the opposing defense and give his creative midfielders space to operate. 

Sub in Pepi up top if you need some more fire, or Balogun if you’re facing a high line. Throw Berhalter in there when Roldan gets tired. Maybe give Max Arfsten a chance to show off his skills late in the game. There are a lot of very talented players to choose from here, so if Poch decides to spread the love and hand out opportunities, I have a feeling he’ll be rewarded. 

I’ll stop myself there — I’ve already kept you for far too long. Never fear, though; I’ll be back a ton throughout this World Cup to give you spot-on predictions, pseudo-expert analysis, and to disguise my venting as productive work. It’s gonna be a good summer.