Predicting World Cup starting XI: What is USMNT's best lineup?

The USA will officially unveil its 2026 World Cup squad Tuesday afternoon during a televised event in New York City, but the cat is out of the bag after the 26-man roster leaked over the weekend.

With the full squad already widely known, the biggest question now facing Mauricio Pochettino is a simple one: Who will actually start the matches? With that in mind, we're projecting the United States' starting lineup when the whistle blows for the team's tournament opener against Paraguay on June 12.

👉 Jump to: Positional breakdown

Projected starting XI

(Source: FotMob)

Pochettino has given minutes to 61 different players since taking over as USMNT coach in October 2024, constantly tinkering with formations and personnel as he tries to find a system that best syncs with the available player pool. He came closest late last year as the Americans ripped off a five-match unbeaten run against quality opposition, capped by a 5-1 dismantling of Uruguay.

The constant during that streak? Pochettino moved to a hybrid defensive system featuring three center-backs, with wing-backs on the flanks, that can shift into a back-four when out of possession.

Despite departing from that approach during the March international window - when the U.S. was dealt a harsh reality check in losses to Belgium and Portugal - it's the foundation for our predicted lineup. Why not go into the World Cup with the tactical setup that worked best so far?

Goalkeeper

Matt Turner is doing everything he can with the New England Revolution to supplant Matt Freese as the United States' No. 1 netminder. Turner has been one of the best goalkeepers in Major League Soccer this season, ranking among the top shot-stoppers in both save percentage and goal prevention metrics.

Still, this is Freese's job to lose.

Barring disastrous outings in the final pre-World Cup friendlies against Senegal and Germany, Freese will get the nod against Paraguay in June. It's felt that way ever since his penalty shootout heroics against Costa Rica in last year's Gold Cup, and nothing definitive has suggested otherwise. Don't overthink this one.

Center-backs

This is where things immediately get more interesting ... and unclear. Crystal Palace's Chris Richards, if fully fit, is a lock at the heart of the backline. After that, there are plenty of questions.

Nobody has played more minutes under Pochettino than Tim Ream, the 38-year-old whose continued presence in the lineup can be viewed as either a testament to his longevity or an indictment of the nation's ability to develop a suitable replacement. Perhaps it's both.

Ream's athletic limitations are obvious, but he's still the USMNT's best passer out of the back. Using an additional central defender in a back-three, whoever it is, helps mitigate some of his weaknesses covering space while retaining his ball-playing ability.

Alex Freeman's versatility should give him the inside edge on solidifying arguably the team's weakest position. Naturally a right-back, the Villarreal youngster has the size to tuck inside and play right center-back in a three-man defense, and he can then shift out to his more familiar role when the U.S. flips to a back-four when its not in possession.

If Pochettino has doubts about either Ream or Freeman, he could just as easily turn to Mark McKenzie or Auston Trusty, who both started in that aforementioned win over Uruguay.

Wing-backs

The overwhelming sentiment is that Sergino Dest, if fit, will play. That's understandable. The 25-year-old PSV wing-back is an explosive attacking threat down the wing. He's the type of dynamic player in wide areas that is sorely lacking in this squad, and he could absolutely be the starter against Paraguay (and beyond).

But he's also a bigger defensive liability than Tim Weah, who can comfortably play almost anywhere on the pitch, provides a steady presence, and isn't prone to lapses inside his own half.

Dest has also only played 211 minutes under Pochettino to date. Ultimately, I'm taking the player that Pochettino's seen more of and should, in theory, be more comfortable relying upon when it matters most.

Weah could just as easily move higher up the field and replace Malik Tillman as one of the supporting attacking players behind Folarin Balogun, which could then create a more obvious path for Dest to start.

On the opposite side, Antonee "Jedi" Robinson has finally shaken off his recent injury woes. Pochettino adores Max Arfsten in this spot, but Robinson offers more upside and should start every game if he's healthy.

Central midfielders

Tyler Adams, who captained the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup, is one of the first names on the team sheet. He's an undisputed starter and critical glue guy. After that, things get thin pretty quickly.

Injuries ruled Johnny Cardoso and Tanner Tessmann out of the tournament, and that will likely force Weston McKennie back into a more traditional No. 8 role. It could be a blessing. McKennie thrived playing higher up the pitch for Juventus this season and, as a result, enjoyed the most prolific statistical campaign of his career with 15 goal involvements across all competitions. But you can still squeeze plenty of attacking value out of him from a deeper position, where he can crash the box with late runs and use his aerial ability to attack crosses.

Adams, of course, will be relied upon to fill any holes that McKennie vacates.

Sebastian Berhalter's set-piece prowess makes him a valuable weapon off the bench, especially if the U.S. is chasing a goal late in games, but the Adams-McKennie duo ensures Pochettino gets his best midfielders on the field together.

Attacking midfielders

For better or worse, the play of Christian Pulisic will largely determine how far this team goes at the World Cup.

He was one of the best attackers in all of Serie A over the first half of the 2025-26 season, but his form fell off a cliff when the calendar flipped; Pulisic finished the campaign on a miserable 19-match scoreless drought as AC Milan's season imploded.

He needs to find something during the pre-tournament friendlies - anything, really - that can help restore even a little bit of the confidence and swagger he showed several months ago.

After leaving Diego Luna and Real Salt Lake teammate Zavier Gozo out of the squad, Pochettino has a limited amount of creativity and inventiveness at his disposal. Gio Reyna and Alejandro Zendejas could provide a spark off the bench, but it's far from a guarantee that either will get extended minutes at the World Cup. Pulisic needs to be the main man.

Tillman - one of the few players to record over 1,000 minutes of action since Pochettino's arrival - has the versatility to drop into a wide midfield role out of possession, when the U.S. will defend with two banks of four. If tactical fluidity is going to be a defining trait of the USMNT this summer, he should be a starter.

Strikers

Balogun is the guy. End of.

This would've been more hotly contested were it not for Patrick Agyemang's untimely and unfortunate Achilles tear, but with the Derby County striker out of the mix, Balogun takes over as the undisputed No. 9.

The AS Monaco frontman finished the Ligue 1 season on a tear, scoring nine goals in his final 12 league matches of the season. Haji Wright and Ricardo Pepi are capable deputies, but Balogun is the best striker on the roster and will be relied upon heavily to deliver the goals this summer.