Mauricio Pochettino was unveiled as the U.S. Men's National Team head coach in late 2024 amid considerable excitement. He has no authority over player selection - his roster is largely the same collection of U.S. nationals who took over a team in chaos after the unsuccessful 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
Beyond a couple of friendly victories against Paraguay and Uruguay last fall, the Argentine boss has done little to inspire optimism: a defeat to Panama in the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League and heavy losses against Belgium and Portugal during the most recent international window have stalled U.S. soccer progress.
The USMNT roster will officially be unveiled on Tuesday, May 26, though a leak on Saturday essentially confirmed Pochettino's final squad.
Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann has seemingly been left out of the USMNT's World Cup roster -Credit:Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images
Mirror U.S. Sports has pinpointed three aspects of Pochettino's reign - his roster decisions, remarks on player input, and experimentation with systems - as significant worries ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
World Cup roster leak prompts more questions than answers
Should Pochettino be held responsible for his roster leaking days ahead of the official reveal on Tuesday? Likely not: Thomas Tuechel and his England squad were disclosed via a series of hints the day before the official announcement.
However, some of the Argentine's selections deserve scrutiny. Ten defenders for his back-five system - and is it still a back five? (keep reading) - would be logical if players like Alexander Freeman (right wing-back and right center-back) and Joe Scally (left-back and left center-back in a back four) lacked positional flexibility.
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Pochettino is now left with only four central midfielders. Weston McKennie could be deployed in a more advanced role, and Tyler Adams ranks among the squad's most injury-plagued players. Excluding Lyon's Tanner Tessman, returning from a late-season injury but considered fit, could mean the USMNT fields either Sebastian Berhalter or Cristian Roldan in a World Cup match.
Pochettino's ticket remarks are pointless
Earlier this year, USMNT winger Tim Weah described tickets for the home World Cup as "expensive," a reasonable assessment considering how prices have fallen in recent weeks. Pochettino, a U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino sympathizer, took offense.
"First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the [pitch]," Pochettino said during a January press conference. "It is not his duty to evaluate the price of the ticket."
How much weight did Pochettino's statement carry? In May, Weah joined New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at an event announcing that 1,000 World Cup tickets would be offered to New York residents for $50.
Tim Weah recently spoke at an event held by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding a ticket lottery, despite Pochettino's prior comments about not getting involved in such matters -Credit:Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images
"The mayor has done an amazing job of making these tickets accessible to New Yorkers," Weah said. "I think as athletes it's important to have a voice because we are the pillars of this community - we're the leaders of the next generation.
Pochettino: Formation tinkerer
Pochettino discovered success toward the end of 2025 by implementing a back five (more accurately described as a 3-4-2-1), featuring one wing-back surging forward while the other tucks in. With three center-backs - the USMNT's vulnerable area - holding position, adequate defensive coverage should always be maintained.
However, Pochettino shifted to a back-four against Belgium in March (notably, regular wing-back Sergino Dest was unavailable), deploying Weah, naturally a winger, at right-back. The result? A 5-2 defeat for the USMNT.
Pochettino will have his complete starting lineup available (excluding CM Johnny Cardoso of Atletico Madrid ) for the World Cup. It would be ideal to see him settle on a formation during the upcoming friendlies and throughout the summer's competitions.
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Here is Pochettino's complete, leaked World Cup roster.
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese , Matt Turner , Chris Brady
Center backs: Chris Richards , Tim Ream , Mark McKenzie , Auston Trusty , Miles Robinson
Fullbacks: Antonee Robinson , Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman , Joe Scally, Max Arfsten
Central midfielders:Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Cristian Roldan, Sebastian Berhalter
Attacking midfielders and wingers: Christian Pulisic , Tim Weah, Malik Tillman , Gio Reyna , Brenden Aaronson , Alejandro Zendejas
Strikers: Folarin Balogun , Ricardo Pepi , Haji Wright
