AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, and Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards are among the key players selected by United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino for the forthcoming international window.
The USMNT is scheduled to participate in two friendly matches later this month, starting with a game against Belgium on March 28, followed by a second fixture against Portugal three days later. Both encounters will take place in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Both nations are positioned within the top 10 of FIFA’s men’s world rankings. Players are set to begin arriving in Atlanta on March 22.
“Over the past 18 months, we have focused on developing the player pool to ensure we can make informed decisions for the World Cup roster, and this presents another important opportunity,” Pochettino stated.
“We need to approach these matches as if they are part of the World Cup, and it is crucial that the players exhibit the right mindset and dedication to the team.”
The roster is anticipated to closely resemble the squad that will compete in the FIFA World Cup later this year, although injuries have sidelined some players.
AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams was excluded from last weekend’s 0-0 draw against Burnley due to an undisclosed injury. Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola mentioned that it “doesn’t appear too serious,” but it was sufficient to keep Adams off the roster.
This opened the door for Vancouver Whitecaps’ Sebastian Berhalter and Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris to join the current squad.
Coventry City forward Haji Wright seems to be another player affected by injury.
He was substituted in the 63rd minute during the Sky Blues’ 2-1 loss to Southampton last weekend, with manager Frank Lampard indicating that Wright is dealing with a groin issue.
Wright’s absence allowed Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang to be included.
PSV Eindhoven defender Sergiño Dest, who sustained a hamstring injury just over a week ago, is also unavailable.
Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso has been performing well recently, allowing him to return to the U.S. squad for the first time since last summer’s Gold Cup.
Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi has sufficiently recovered from a broken arm he suffered in January to make his comeback.
Another returning player is Fulham defender Antonee Robinson, who has not played for the U.S. since a Concacaf Nations League match against Jamaica in November 2024, primarily due to a knee injury that necessitated surgery last May.
Pochettino also included Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Giovanni Reyna, despite Reyna having played only 26 minutes since the beginning of the year, with no appearances in the last two months.
Reyna likely benefited from a strong performance during the November international window, where he scored in the 2-1 victory over Paraguay and provided an assist off the bench in the 5-1 win against Uruguay.
Reyna’s selection meant that there was no space for Club América forward Alejandro Zendejas or Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, both of whom have recently returned from injuries.
As anticipated, Augsburg FC defender Noahkai Banks was not included in the roster as he considers whether to represent Germany or the U.S. at the international level.
McKennie and AS Monaco forward Folarin Balogun are among the players in top form. McKennie has achieved 13 goal contributions this season for Juventus, marking a personal best for a single season, while Balogun has recorded 14 goals and four assists for Monaco this season.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire FC; 0/0), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 13/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 52/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 16/1), Alex Freeman (Villareal/ESP; 13/2), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 25/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 79/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 35/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG;50/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 22/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 5/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 9/1), Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid/ESP; 22/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 62/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 13/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 34/9), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 43/0), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 12/1); Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen/GER; 26/3)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 56/9); Patrick Agyemang (Derby County/ENG; 12/5), Folarin Balogun ( AS Monaco/FRA; 23/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 34/13), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 82/32), Timothy Weah (Olympique Marseille/FRA; 47/7)
