Through a year of training camps, tournaments and friendlies, Mauricio Pochettino has been consistent in his messaging to U.S. men’s national team players seeking a place on the 2026 World Cup squad: The door is always open.
On Thursday, ahead of the final training camp of the year, the door cracked back open for several players, including Gio Reyna.
Pochettino, though, also left out several big names from the 25-man roster, most because of injury or fitness issues. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Chris Richards and Tim Weah topped that list.
Reyna, a 22-year-old midfielder, received his first call-up since March, rekindling hope of making inroads with the national team amid a disappointing secondary role with Mönchengladbach. Reyna has made just five appearances (one start) for his new Bundesliga club after falling out of favor with Borussia Dortmund last year.
Once a rising star in U.S. circles, he was at the center of a post-World Cup soap opera with then-coach Gregg Berhalter almost three winters ago and had since seen his national team fortunes continue to dip as he confronted headwinds in his club career.
Pochettino was scheduled to address the roster decisions during a conference call with reporters later Thursday.
Camp will open Monday in greater Philadelphia ahead of friendlies against Paraguay on Nov. 15 in Chester, Pennsylvania, and Uruguay on Nov. 18 in Tampa. The team will not gather again until late March for a pair of friendlies, probably against Portugal and Belgium in Atlanta. In May, Pochettino will select his World Cup squad.
Others back in the mix include goalkeepers Roman Celentano and Jonathan Klinsmann; defenders Joe Scally, John Tolkin and Auston Trusty; midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Sean Zawadzki; and forward Ricardo Pepi.
Right back Sergiño Dest and midfielder Tyler Adams, projected World Cup starters next summer, were summoned after missing the October camp. (Dest wasn’t ready for the demands of an international call-up amid his return from an ACL injury, while Adams remained home with his pregnant wife.)
Aside from Pulisic, McKennie, Richards and Weah, the absences include goalkeeper Matt Turner; left back Antonee Robinson; center back Cameron Carter-Vickers; midfielders Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman; and forwards Patrick Agyemang and Alex Zendejas.
Pulisic has not played for AC Milan since straining a hamstring in the friendly against Australia last month. Even if he ends up returning for Milan this weekend, Pochettino concluded his best player was better off continuing to regain fitness in Italy.
Hampered by a thigh injury, Weah wasn’t in uniform for Olympique Marseille’s Champions League match this week. McKennie, though, logged 90 minutes for Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday. Richards is a full-time starter with Crystal Palace but has been bothered by a calf ailment.
Pepi and Trusty are in camp for the first time in a year. Like Reyna, Mönchengladbach teammate Scally returns from an eight-month absence.
In a prepared statement, Pochettino said, “As we continue to develop our squad and build on the culture we have created, this is another great opportunity for the players selected for this roster to prove they deserve to be on the final list for the World Cup. It’s important they come into this camp prepared to show their qualities on the field and their commitment to being a good teammate.”
U.S. roster for November friendlies
Goalkeepers: Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew).
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Mönchengladbach), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), Auston Trusty (Celtic).
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew).
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Haji Wright (Coventry City).
