Mauricio Pochettino’s first USMNT lineup speaks to the central tension of his 2026 project

Mauricio Pochettino’s first lineup for the U.S. men’s national team is a window into the central tension of his USMNT project.

US Soccer revealed the lineup on Wednesday morning. It features some semi-fresh faces, but no real surprises. It’s not the overhaul some expected or hoped for.

The 25-player group that will face Panama and Mexico in friendlies this month is instead almost a replica of the group that crashed out of the 2024 Copa América, barring a few injuries and tweaks on the margins.

Of the 26 players chosen by previous coach Gregg Berhalter for the World Cup, 19 are part of Pochettino’s starting squad; and four others – Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers – certainly would be if they were healthy.

USMNT roster for October friendlies

The only notable inclusions are goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who was once the U.S. No. 1 but has not played for the national team since March 2022; midfielder Gianluca Busio, who has been on the sidelines of the squad since 2021; and Marlon Fossey and Aidan Morris, who were with the USMNT last month under interim coach Mikey Varas.

The only notable exclusion is Luca de la Torre, who has not played this season for his Spanish club Celta Vigo.

The full list is below.

Goalkeepers (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

Defenders (8): Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic )

Midfielders (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)

Forwards (6): Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Timothy Weah (Juventus), Haji Wright (Coventry City)

Pochettino’s challenge

Pochettino was signed last month to shake up the USMNT. He was paid a hefty salary — reportedly about $6 million a year, far more than football has ever paid any coach — to turbocharge a stagnant program, to elevate it beyond its average norm. And in football, the best way to do this is usually to change the squad and starting 11. It’s about choosing different players.

At clubs, in the past, Pochettino could sign them. At Tottenham, in two years, more than half of the players he inherited were replaced.

Now, with the U.S. national team, he can choose from a vast pool of eligible players. He could, in theory, rule out those who have become too comfortable in their roles with the USMNT and those who are not performing for their clubs. He could cast the proverbial net for replacements.

In his introductory press conference, Pochettino hinted as much. He promised that the “door” was “open” to all American players. “If they perform, we’ll be there watching,” he said.

The assumption, at least among fans, was that he would use his early camps to discover some previously overlooked talent.

Your challenge, however, and the central tension of your first few months, is that these camps are also valuable for another reason. They are the first, fleeting chance to actually work with the players who will lead the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup. And the vast majority of those players, at this point, don’t need to be unearthed.

They are Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, Adams and Reyna, Tim Weah and Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest and Richards.

They are the core group that went to Qatar in 2022 and were part of every lineup after that when healthy. In 2023 and 2024, they were clearly the best the US has to offer.

The question, then, was whether Pochettino agreed and what he would prioritize.

Would he use these camps to challenge the starters and call up players who could displace them?

Or would you use the fields to begin implementing your system, instilling your principles and values, and building relationships with the core group that, in all likelihood, will still be the core group in 2026?

His first line-up – his first under-10 squad until the World Cup – suggests his answer is the latter. There is no time for left-field experiments, no time for network launches. The core is the core. Pochettino will have a few dozen legitimate training sessions and around two dozen games to maximize it.