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The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has announced its 26-player squad for the upcoming World Cup, with a few surprising inclusions and omissions ahead of this summer’s tournament. Attacking midfielders Alejandro Zendejas from Club America and Gio Reyna of Borussia Monchengladbach have made the cut, while holding midfielders Tanner Tessmann from Lyon and Aidan Morris of Middlesbrough were not selected.

What happened

The 26-man roster, first reported by the Guardian on Saturday, includes a few unexpected names. The Athletic had earlier revealed that Gio Reyna was set to be included and that Diego Luna would miss out. Additional details now give a complete view of head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s selections.

Zendejas headlines the list after an impressive run with Club America in Liga MX. Despite his form, he has had limited opportunities under Pochettino, featuring for just 139 minutes across six matches. His addition strengthens a talented midfield group that already includes Reyna, Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, and Malik Tillman. This has resulted in fewer options being named for the defensive midfield roles.

Tyler Adams retains his place, joined by Cristian Roldan and Sebastian Berhalter. Weston McKennie, who has often been deployed further forward, is expected to play alongside Adams. However, there was no space for Aidan Morris or Tanner Tessmann, both of whom had been regular call-ups under Pochettino. Johnny Cardoso also remains unavailable due to injury.

The reported roster

Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)

Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergino Dest (PSV), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Monchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alejandro Zendejas (Club America)

Forwards: Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV), Haji Wright (Coventry City)

Notable call-ups

Chris Richards’ selection will come as a relief for fans, as the Crystal Palace defender has been recovering from an ankle injury. He is one of five central defenders named, alongside Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and Miles Robinson. Notably absent is Noahkai Banks, who had turned down a call-up in March amid reported interest from Germany.

In goal, Chris Brady joins Matt Freese and Matt Turner to complete the trio of goalkeepers. The forward line remains consistent with expectations, with Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright chosen to lead the attack.

What’s next?

The USMNT’s final squad will be officially confirmed on Tuesday during an event in New York City. Following that, the team will focus on pre-tournament friendlies against Senegal and Germany before opening their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12.

Although the provisional squad has been set, final rosters will not be locked until June 1. Adjustments may still occur afterward in case of injuries or other exceptional circumstances leading up to the tournament.