U.S. Cuts Luna and Tessman From 26-Man World Cup Squad

U.S. Cuts Luna and Tessman From 26-Man World Cup Squad

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino named his final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on May 26, 2026, at a public event in Manhattan, confirming the omission of midfielder Diego Luna and defensive midfielder Tanner Tessman among the more prominent exclusions from a squad that had been partially leaked over the preceding weekend.

Tessman, 24, had appeared in the previous six U.S. matches under Pochettino and was widely expected to earn a place after establishing himself as the leading candidate at defensive midfield. A muscle strain sustained earlier in May while playing for his French club Lyon cast some uncertainty over his fitness, though reports at the time suggested the injury was not expected to rule him out of the tournament. Luna, a forward with Real Salt Lake, had been considered a near-certainty for selection after a series of notable performances at international level. Tyler Adams, who captained the United States at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is the sole recognized defensive midfielder named in the squad. Yunus Musah and Josh Sargent, both members of the 2022 World Cup roster, were also left out, along with midfielder Aidan Morris and 19-year-old Zavier Gozo.

The 2026 World Cup marks the first time the United States has hosted the tournament since 1994 and the first edition played across three countries, with Canada and Mexico sharing hosting duties alongside the U.S. under an expanded 48-team format that includes an additional knockout round.

Roster changes remain possible until June 1. The United States open Group D play against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, before facing Australia on June 19 in Seattle and Türkiye on June 25 in Los Angeles.