Usmnt Squad: Mauricio Pochettino Calls In 27 For Friendlies Against Portugal And Belgium

US men’s nationalist squad caput coach Mauricio Pochettino has named a 27-player roster for nan team’s past campy earlier he determines his last squad for this summer’s World Cup.

The group will play 2 high-profile friendlies successful Atlanta complete nan adjacent world window, pinch nan US facing Belgium connected Saturday 28 March (3.30pm ET) and Portugal connected Tuesday 31 March (7pm ET).

The group called up by Pochettino are adjacent to a first-choice selection, pinch nan notable objection of midfielder Tyler Adams, who sat retired Bournemouth’s scoreless tie pinch Burnley successful nan Premier League connected Saturday. Adams had precocious completed his comeback from a torn MCL, and started Bournemouth’s erstwhile 3 matches.

Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, who collapsed into a regular domiciled pinch nan US past year, besides missed out. Luna only precocious played his first minutes of nan year, coming connected arsenic a sub for RSL successful Saturday’s 2-1 triumph complete Austin FC. Luna had been absent pinch a knee wounded to commencement nan MLS season.

Here’s nan afloat squad to look Belgium and Portugal:

Goalkeepers

Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)

The all-MLS group comprises a quartet of Pochettino regulars. Freese has started astir games nether nan Argentinian, pinch Turner, nan 2022 World Cup starter, now nan astir apt backup. Brady and Celentano are astir apt successful a conflict to beryllium nan 3rd goalkeeper astatine this summer’s tournament.

Defenders

Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Villareal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

The caller hamstring injury to right-back Sergiño Dest changes nan calculus for this group, pinch Scally and Freeman nan earthy choices to switch Dest successful a starting XI. The US started to find occurrence towards nan extremity of 2025 aft shifting to play pinch 3 center-backs, pinch Richards a locked-in starter. Ream is simply a regular action alongside Richards, but nan 38-year-old has had a subpar commencement to nan MLS season. McKenzie, Miles Robinson, and Trusty will compete for nan different spots, pinch Freeman and Scally tin of operating astatine center-back if needed.

Midfielders

Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)

Adams’s absence opens up an opportunity for a number of different options successful cardinal midfield. Morris joined nan squad for nan last 2 world windows of 2025 and impressed successful a 5-1 triumph complete Uruguay. He has carried that shape complete to nine level wherever he’s go a cardinal fig successful Middlesbrough’s push for promotion from nan Championship. Cardoso has seen his minutes summation and his shape upswing pinch Atlético Madrid, while Tessmann has gotten accordant minutes pinch Lyon.

Reyna returns to nan squad aft impressing successful nan last world model of 2025, scoring a extremity successful a triumph against Paraguay and notching an assistance successful nan 5-1 triumph complete Uruguay. However, nan playmaker has been connected nan section for conscionable 28 minutes successful 2026 pinch Borussia Mönchengladbach, pinch nary appearances of immoderate benignant since January owed successful portion to wounded issues.

Forwards

Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (Milan), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille)

Haji Wright near Coventry City’s lucifer complete nan play pinch a groin injury, making nan striker options a three-man group of Agyemang, Balogun, and Pepi, who only precocious came backmost from a surgery arm. Pulisic’s caller shape pinch Milan has not matched his basking commencement to nan season, but he remains nan focal constituent of this group and it’s apt his play will beryllium captious to nan US successful this model and astatine nan World Cup.