With Philadelphia set to host FIFA World Cup matches in mere weeks, the city’s host committee held a watch party on Tuesday for U.S. Soccer’s reveal of the 26-man roster.
Here is the full USMNT squad, which was announced on a live broadcast from New York City.
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC) and Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Auston Trusty (Celtic)
Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Tyler Adams ( Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)and Alejandro Zendejas (Club América).
Forwards: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven) and Haji Wright (Coventry City)
It wasn’t too surprising for most, since the Guardian got a hold of a reported final roster on Saturday morning, which the Athletic independently verified was correct shortly after.
That didn’t mean there still weren’t some opinions from Philly fans about some of the players that didn’t make the cut.
“I would say my number one exclusion was Diego Luna. I’m not going to say who I think he should have replaced on the roster,” said Cam Robinson, a board member of Street Soccer Philadelphia, part of Street Soccer USA. “I also understand sometimes you choose players based off of how they fit best with your team. But like that guy, anytime he came off the bench it was like he raised the energy.”
Probably the most undisputed name that was going to go on the roster was current captain and Hershey, Pa’s own Christian Pulisic, who has been playing his club soccer at AC Milan.
Pulisic’s high-profile path as America’s generational star has taken him to Borussia Dortmund in Germany, London club Chelsea and Milan for the past two seasons. He was one of the better performing players in a poor season by the club’s lofty standards, scoring 10 goals and providing 4 assists in 32 games for Milan.
Four other players with Philly ties, who all featured in the squad that played in Chester last year, made the roster.
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The local soccer scene is at the heart of the @USMNT World Cup roster pic.twitter.com/U0oJJAO9zv
— FIFA World Cup 26 Philadelphia™ (@FWC26Philly) May 26, 2026
Brenden Aaronson
Nicknamed the “Medford Messi” for his New Jersey roots, Aaronson came up through the Union’s academy and reserve side. He finished second in the 2019 rookie of the year voting, and followed that up as a key part of the team that secured the 2020 MLS Supporters’ Shield, given to the team with the best regular-season record.
Aaronson left Philly to join Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg, then English side Leeds United, which currently plays in the English Premier League. He helped Leeds to a 14th place finish this season, scoring four goals and providing five assists.
The 25-year-old forward participated in the 2022 World Cup and has played the second-most games for the U.S. on the current roster.
Matt Freese
Freese started his pro career as a backup goaltender for the Union, after playing for Harvard University and the Union’s youth squad. He was on the field for the team’s Supporters’ Shield-clinching win in 2020.
Since 2023, though, the Wayne, Pa. native has been playing for Philly’s league rivals, New York City FC. He was on the field for the Union’s second-ever Supporter’s Shield win last October, but this time from the opposing goal. Freese has faced the Union twice since that loss and come out on the winning side, in the Eastern Conference semifinals and in the Union’s home-opener this season in March.
This will be Freese’s World Cup and he’s the strong favorite to be the starting goalkeeper.
Mark McKenzie
McKenzie, 26, was born in the Bronx, but grew up in Bear, Del., which is how he found his way to the Union’s academy and senior side. He is the first player from the “First State” to make the national team’s World Cup roster.
McKenzie spent five seasons with the Union II — then called Bethlehem Steel — and the Union’s senior team. He played a season at Wake Forest University too.
After Philly’s 2020 season, he moved to Belgian side Genk, where he won the Belgian Cup. After four seasons with Genk, he moved to French side Toulouse 2024 and helped that team to a 10th place finish this past season. This will be his first World Cup
Auston Trusty
The Media, Pa. native played two seasons with the Union before he was traded to the Colorado Rapids in 2020. From there, he moved to Premier League giant Arsenal, but was loaned back to the Rapids and then to Birmingham City in England’s second level while he was on the Gunners’ books.
Trusty then moved to Sheffield United and now is with one of Scotland’s two big Glasgow teams, Celtic, where he has won both the Scottish League and Cup for the past two seasons.
The 27-year-old defender has maintained his Philly ties, training with the Union in the offseason and holding a spot on the board of the team’s youth academy, according to the Inquirer.
This will also be Trusty’s first World Cup.
“To see five players from this area, you know, that’s that’s a fifth of the team. It’s an incredible honor and I think they’re going to represent us very well,” said Chris Branscome, CEO of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer.
While acknowledging that very few of America’s youth soccer players make it to the level of the national team, Branscome said that the ones that do serve as inspiration for children of all skill levels.
“I want to make sure we bring out that, you know, Matt played for Penn Fusion and Christian played for PA Classics and Austin played for Nether United,” he said. “So they had youth clubs in their backyards that did all the work to develop them, to build their love of the game, just like all the kids today. And if they work hard, do everything, they have a shot. It’s a tough shot, but they’ve got it.”
Robinson, who works with a lot of young players of color through Street Soccer, said it was important to see McKenzie, Trusty, on the team.
“I think that allows the kids that I work with and coach to be able to see themselves one day there,” he said.
He added that the World Cup will also bring 47 teams of potential sporting role models to the U.S. this summer.
“I work with a large immigrant population,” Robinson said. “So you have these American players from the area coming in, but then you have international players coming to the United States as well … It’s amazing and it’s important because it shows what is possible and what is accessible for these kids.”
Be sure to check out Billy Penn’s guide to the World Cup games in Philly, which offers a crash course in what teams and players you’ll likely see this summer and how you can watch the games.
