Can US soccer make waves at the FIFA World Cup?

US SOCCER

Charlotte FC centerback Tim Ream is the oldest player on the 2026 U.S. World Cup squad, has captained the Stars and Stripes 26 times in 80 caps, which is eighth all-time.

While the United States is celebrating 250 years of independence this summer, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team will be working to prove they can compete with the world’s best in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The first test for the final selection of the United States Men’s National Team that will take the pitch for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place in Charlotte on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Kickoff for the Allstate Continental Clásico is set for 3:30 p.m. The Americans will also play Germany on June 6 in Chicago before their World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino, who played for Argentina in the 2002 World Cup before launching a successful managerial career that has included stints at his former La Liga club Espanyol, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, has whittled his squad down to the 26-player limit for the tournament. This has been a work in progress since he was appointed as the national team boss in September 2024.

The squad is a mix of World Cup veterans and first-timers. Thirteen players were part of the U.S. squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, equaling the U.S. mark for the highest number of returnees between consecutive World Cups, the most since the 1994 and 1998 teams. Eight started all four matches in Qatar: Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Matt Turner, and Tim Weah. 

Charlotte FC in the World Cup

Charlotte’s World Cup connection is centerback Ream, who is the oldest player on the squad at 38. Quietly efficient and dependable, Ream wasn’t expected to have the role he did four years ago but he played every minute in helping achieve two clean sheets in four matches. An unquestioned leader on the squad, he has now captained the team 26 times in 80 caps, putting him eighth on the all-time captains list. 

Luca de la Torre, who joined CLTFC before this season, was also on the U.S. roster in Qatar while playing for Celta Vigo in La Liga. Though he did not play during that tournament, he has 32 appearances for the national team with one goal and five assists.

Karol Swiderski represented Poland in 2022 while on the Crown’s inaugural roster.

Put the ball into the net

The U.S. scored just three times at the 2022 World Cup but their two draws – 1-1 against Wales and 0-0 against England – combined with a 1-0 win over Iran were enough to get them into the knockout Round of 16, where they lost to the Netherlands 3-1.

To progress, they will have to be better on offense. The three strikers named to the squad - Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright - come in with solid success on the club level this past season, combining for 56 goals across all competitions. 

Balogun (19 goals in 43 games) had a nine-match scoring streak for Monaco in the latter half of the French Ligue 1 campaign. Pepi (19 goals in 34 games) was the top scorer for champions PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie despite missing nine matches due to injury mid-season. Haji Wright’s scoring (18 goals in 43 games) helped Coventry City to first place in the English Championship division and automatic promotion to the Premier League. 

Former Charlotte FC star Patrick Agyemang, who had 10 goals for Derby County in the Championship and had scored six times for the USMNT in 14 appearances, was considered a strong candidate for the team until suffering an Achilles tendon injury in early April.

United States World Cup roster 

Goalkeepers
Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 0 caps/0 goals)
Matt Freese (New York City FC, 14/0)
Matt Turner (New England Revolution, 53/0)

Defenders 
Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew, 18/1)
Sergiño Dest (PSV, 37/2
Alex Freeman (Villarreal, 15/2)
Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, 27/0)
Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 80/1)
Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 36/3)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 52/4)
Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, 38/3)
Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 24/0)
Auston Trusty (Celtic, 6/0)

Midfielders
Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth, 52/2)
Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, 11/1)
Weston McKennie (Juventus, 64/12)
Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders, 45/0)

Attacking midfielders/wingers
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 57/9)
Christian Pulisic (Milan, 84/32)
Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 36/9)
Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 28/3) 
Tim Weah (Marseille, 49/7)
Alejandro Zendejas (Club América, 13/2)

Strikers 
Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, 25/8)
Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 35/13)
Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)

This is the final roster pending any changes made prior to the final submission to FIFA on June 1. The USA is in Group D with Paraguay (June 12 in LA), Australia (June 19 in Seattle), and Turkiye (June 25 in LA).

Who is Senegal? 

The Lions of Teranga are coming to this World Cup defensibly as the continental champions, the winners on the field in the Africa Cup of Nations. Winners of the 2021 AFCON, they defeated host nation Morocco 1-0 on January 18 in a bizarre match worthy of a Monty Python sketch. 

In protest of a goal that was disallowed, Senegal walked off the pitch, and it took 17 minutes to get the match restarted. Meanwhile, during the match, the Moroccan ball-boys were seen repeatedly stealing the towel laid down by the Senegal goalkeeper and even attacking the backup goalkeeper who came to protect it. 

A full two months after the final, the Confederation of African Football appeal board ruled that because Senegal left the field and repeatedly refused to return from their dressing room, they had forfeited the game and awarded a forfeit to Morocco. 

Senegal is in Group I for the World Cup with preliminary games against France (June 16 in New York), Iraq (June 26 in Toronto), and Norway (June 22 in New York).

They come to Charlotte with a mix of experience and youth in their provisional roster which will still be trimmed down by June 2 when final rosters of 26 Whare due to FIFA.

The most famous name is Sadio Mane, 34, who starred at Liverpool from 2016-22, where he scored 90 goals in 196 appearances before moving to FC Bayern Munich for one season, and then to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. Though he missed the 2022 World Cup due to injury, he has scored 53 goals in 126 appearances for Senegal since his debut in 2012.

Also playing in Saudi Arabia are the French-born former Senegalese pair of former Chelsea players, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who played most of his career at Serie A side Napoli.

Current Premier League players include Habib Diarra (Sunderland), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham) and Iliman Ndiaye (Everton). Ibrahim Mbaye plays for French giant PSG. Teenagers Ibrahim Mbaye and Bara Ndiaye, both 18, who play for Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, are also in the provisional squad.


Senegal provisional World Cup roster 

Goalkeepers
Mory Diaw 
Yehvann Diouf 
Edouard Mendy

Defenders
Ilay Camara 
Krepin Diatta 
El Hadji Malick Diouf 
Ismail Jakobs 
Kalidou Koulibaly
Moustapha Mbow 
Antoine Mendy 
Moussa Niakhate 
Mamadou Sarr 
Abdoulaye Seck

Midfielders
Lamine Camara 
Pathe Ciss 
Habib Diarra 
Idrissa Gana Gueye 
Pape Gueye 
Pape Matar Sarr 
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye

Attackers
Assane Diao 
Bamba Dieng 
Nicolas Jackson
Sadio Mane 
Ibrahim Mbaye
Cherif Ndiaye 
Iliman Ndiaye 
Ismaila Sarr

Other U.S. national team news

Charlottean Taylor Suarez, the former Ardrey Kell High and Charlotte Christian player who turned 21 this week, has been named to the U.S. Women’s U-23 National Team for two matches against Brasileirão Feminino Série A1 side SC Corinthians Paulista on June 5 and June 9. Suarez now plays for Angel City FC in the NWSL. She played for the U.S. in the 2024 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The full USWNT will also be in Brazil during this international break, and former Charlotte Latin and UNC goalkeeper Claudia Dickey will be with them once again. She now has 10 caps for the national team, which will play Brazil’s senior women’s team, hosts of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, on June 6 and June 9.

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