The clamour for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inclusion into the senior team is growing deafening.© BCCI

As anticipation builds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, football is steadily cementing itself as India’s second-favourite sport after cricket, reflecting a broader shift in sports consumption patterns across Asia and among younger, digitally connected audiences.

New audience research released by global leader in audience measurement and data analytics, Nielsen highlights the growing popularity of football in India, where the sport now ranks just behind cricket among adults. The findings place India alongside several Asian markets where football has become deeply embedded in mainstream culture, including South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore, where it is already the most popular sport.

The report suggests that football’s rise in India is being driven by a mix of global tournament exposure, expanding digital access, European club fandom, and the rapid growth of social-media-driven sports communities.

“Football in India is no longer a niche urban interest,” said a Nielsen spokesperson in the report. “It is evolving into a mainstream entertainment and cultural force, especially among younger consumers who follow international leagues, creators, and athletes online.”

Digital Audiences Fueling Football’s Growth

The research points to changing viewing habits and mobile-first engagement as major catalysts behind football’s momentum. Across global football audiences, fans are increasingly consuming highlights, commentary, and live match content through social media platforms rather than traditional television alone.

Nielsen found that highly engaged football communities are also among the most digitally active sports audiences. In markets with rapidly growing football fandom, supporters are far more likely to follow teams and tournaments through short-form video platforms, livestreams, and creator-led content ecosystems.

A Pan-Asian Football Boom

The findings also underline football’s dominance across Asia. Nielsen’s survey revealed that football ranks as the No. 1 sport among adults in South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore.

In India, the sport sits comfortably in second place behind cricket, while in Japan it trails baseball.

Industry analysts say India’s massive youth population and increasing exposure to global sports culture position football for even stronger growth over the next decade.

“Cricket remains dominant, but football has become the clear challenger,” the report noted. “The gap is narrowing among younger demographics who consume sports in a more global and digital way.”

Diverse Audiences Driving Global Football Culture

Nielsen’s research also explored football’s appeal among multicultural audiences globally, particularly in the United States and Middle Eastern communities.

According to the data, Middle Eastern and Black audiences are approximately 40% more likely to express strong interest in football compared to the general adult population. Black Caribbean audiences show even higher engagement levels, demonstrating how football continues to resonate across diverse cultural groups worldwide.

The report further highlighted the importance of Hispanic audiences in shaping football culture in the United States. Nearly half of U.S. Hispanics surveyed identified themselves as World Cup fans, while a large majority said they actively engage with football content through social media.

India’s Football Moment

India’s growing football appetite is visible not only in television ratings and streaming numbers, but also in grassroots participation, fantasy sports, gaming culture, and brand investment.

Domestic tournaments such as the Indian Super League have expanded football’s visibility, while international clubs increasingly target Indian fans through localized campaigns, pre-season events, and regional digital content.

With the FIFA World Cup approaching and global football audiences expanding rapidly, marketers and broadcasters are beginning to view India as one of the sport’s most important emerging markets.

“The next era of football growth will come from digitally connected nations with young populations,” the Nielsen analysis concluded. “India stands out as one of the biggest opportunities in the global football ecosystem.”

The time is now. Mauricio Pochettino has named his 26-man squad to represent the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As a host nation alongside Mexico and Canada, there will be immense pressure on the Red, White, and Blue, but that also extends to Pochettino as the Argentine manager has made tough calls to set the roster. Diego Luna was someone who was expected to be in the squad, but he misses out while Gio Reyna and Alex Zendejas are in. Meanwhile, Tyler Adams is the only true defensive midfielder due to the absence of Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris. And a whopping 10 defenders were included. 

Let’s take a look at the 26 for 26 and what to know about them:

Goalkeepers

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Matt Freese

USA • GK • #24

ClubNew York City FC

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Age27

BirthplaceWayne, Pa.

Caps14

Already a USMNT cult hero after a penalty kick shootout against Costa Rica in the Concacaf Gold Cup, Matt Freese is ready to write his next chapter with the squad. That chapter will follow the Harvard thesis he’s already written on penalty kicks. Freese has put that into action during his career, where even with his club, New York City FC, he has been excellent in those scenarios. “Matty Ice” may be a nickname more akin to NFL quarterback Matt Ryan, but for Freese on penalties, he’s been quite deserving of that, including in open play, where he has a strong hold on his box. Freese may not have debuted for the USMNT until kicking off the Gold Cup in June of 2025, but he’s taken that chance and run with it, earning 14 caps since and putting himself in a strong position to be the number one in net for a World Cup on home soil.

Matt Turner

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USA • GK • #1

ClubNew England Revolution

Age31

BirthplacePark Ridge, N.J.

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Caps53

Matt Turner returns to the World Cup, this time as Freese’s understudy after serving as the starter in 2022. His origin story is unusual – he did not get serious about soccer until his late teens, when his peers were already on professional pathways, and went unselected in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. After a few trying years in Europe, he is now back at the club where he broke out, the New England Revolution, and might just be the most in-form goalkeeper on the USMNT. In his last outing in U.S. colors, though, a chance to overtake Freese came and went – he started the USMNT’s 5-2 loss to Belgium in March, things not going to plan even if it would be hard to lay the blame at his feet. “I’ve stood in front of here and criticized myself many times but tonight, I felt like I did have some really good moments,” he said that evening. “I was able to make some good saves. I just wish I could have one or two of ’em back because I don’t think the scoreline really reflected the balance and flow of the game.”

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Chris Brady

USA • G • #25

ClubChicago Fire

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Age22

BirthplaceNaperville, Ill.

Caps0

Pochettino’s tenure has been marked by the opportunities he has handed to fringe talent when more experienced players were unavailable, Chris Brady amongst the bunch. The Chicago Fire academy product first joined the group for last summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup and has been a frequent invite since, making the step up after representing the U.S. at youth levels. The 22-year-old may be the only uncapped player on the roster, but his inclusion might be with an eye towards the future, the focus likely to shift to some of the national team’s up-and-coming goalkeepers once the World Cup is over.

Defenders

Sergino Dest

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USA • D • #2

ClubPSV

Age25

BirthplaceAlmere, Netherlands

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Caps37

Goals2

Consider Sergino Dest one of the missing pieces for a full-strength version of the USMNT. He has only played four games for the national team since Pochettino took charge in the fall of 2024, while sidelined with a series of injuries, but returned to play in May with PSV and should be ready to go when the World Cup begins. The Netherlands-born outside back is destined to play a key role for the U.S. team — he boasts an impressive pedigree, coming up through the prestigious Ajax academy in Amsterdam and later playing for Barcelona. Teammate Chris Richards once described him as “probably the most attacking fullback in the world,” making him a real asset for an attack-minded USMNT that will benefit from two very talented outside backs in Dest and Antonee Robinson. Dest is also known for his flair and might be good for one or two highlight-reel worthy moments this summer — watch out for a nutmeg!

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Antonee Robinson

USA • D • #5

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ClubFulham

Age28

BirthplaceMilton Keynes, England

Caps52

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Goals4

Antonee Robinson’s absence has been felt. The England-born outside back is one of the Premier League’s best, but a long-term knee injury meant he went almost 18 months without playing for the national team, though he finally made his long-awaited return for the USMNT’s friendlies in March. He was a sight for sore eyes even amidst defeats to Belgium and Portugal, his dynamic attack-minded play on the flank offering a stark reminder of why he won U.S. Soccer’s male player of the year award after a successful stretch of matches in 2024. It was a relief for the player, too, after undergoing knee surgery last summer and being pestered by the injury months later. “There was no sort of certainty on my end that I was going to be fit and available and make it [to the World Cup] because it just seemed like there was kind of no light at the end of the tunnel but thankfully, I feel like I’m past that point now,” he said in March. “It’s really exciting to be back with the boys.” Just don’t call him Antonee – he has gone by “Jedi” since he was a child, even in professional settings, earning the nickname thanks to his affinity for the “Star Wars” films.

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Tim Ream

USA • D • #13

ClubCharlotte FC

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Age 38

BirthplaceSt. Louis, Mo.

Caps80

Goals1

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The USMNT’s elder statesman, 38-year-old Tim Ream, has been a mainstay as he watched his teammates come of age from the last World Cup to this one. Ream presents himself as a conduit for the coaching staff to his fellow players and a calmly honest spokesman of sorts for all. His decade of work in England has earned him the respect of his teammates. “I’ve worked under a lot of different managers, a lot of different systems and what they’re doing here is not too dissimilar to what I did at Fulham for many, many years under Marco [Silva],” he noted after the U.S.’ 1-1 draw with Ecuador in October, reflecting on Pochettino’s switch to a back three that he later described as a “stroke of genius” from a tactical perspective. “For me, understanding and seeing the game from a different perspective, being a center back and being older, it doesn’t take long for me to grasp new ideas and tactics.” Ream may have another problem on his hands entirely – Father Time has been unkind to him in recent months, including in March’s defeat to Belgium, raising questions about whether or not the USMNT’s most consistent fixture will actually be in the lineup once the World Cup begins.

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Chris Richards

USA • D • #3

ClubCrystal Palace

Age26

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BirthplaceBirmingham, Ala.

Caps36

Goals3

A handful of players have wrestled for the title of the U.S.’ most important player at this World Cup, but as this summer’s tournament finally arrives, the crown rests firmly on Chris Richards’ head. The center back has become a steady force at center back, exuding not just competence but confidence at the same time — and a delightful sense of humor. He described center backs as “a little sick in the head” for their willingness to do soccer’s scut work, making him a professional and affable leader for the USMNT. He keeps the vibes high off the field, too — he was part of a group of players who recently treated their England-born and bred teammates to Chili’s, intent on providing them with an authentically American experience. “The Triple Dipper you have to get, but then I think it’s the endless chips and salsa, but then also there’s sports on TV, and also the chocolate molten lava cake, and it’s just like you’re sitting there and you’re looking at the ground, the tile,” he recalled. “You’re like, this is beautiful. This is nostalgia. This is really America.”

Mark McKenzie

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USA • D • #22

ClubToulouse

Age27

BirthplaceBronx, N.Y.

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Caps27

Goals0

Moving to Toulouse in France in 2024 from Genk, Mark McKenzie’s game has taken a massive step forward as he earned regular playing time in a top league. One of many players in this roster with MLS roots, coming from the Philadelphia Union system, McKenzie has yet to truly break out as a member of the national team, but making a World Cup roster for the first time in his career is a significant step. Someone who has also talked about the art of defending with Pochettino, it’s clear that McKenzie is doing what he can to soak up experience under the Argentine. 

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Miles Robinson

USA • D • #12

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ClubFC Cincinnati

Age29

BirthplaceArlington, Mass.

Caps38

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Goals3

The heart of the FC Cincinnati defense, Miles Robinson, is someone who consistently enters when Pochettino wants to close out a game. When you have 26 players available, not every single one needs to be a starter in the squad, and that’s where knowing your role is a moment to shine. Given the lack of depth at center back and Pochettino wanting to employ a back three during the World Cup, knowing that he’ll get consistency from players is important.

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Alexander Freeman

USA • D • #16

ClubVillareal

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Age21

BirthplaceBaltimore, Md.

Caps15

Goals2

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There may not be a player who has had a faster rise on the USMNT in the last year than Alex Freeman. Just over a year ago, he was making his first start for Orlando City SC, and now he has qualified for Champions League soccer with Villarreal and is on the way to his first World Cup. Freeman has come a long way since his debut facing Turkiye, where the challenge of defending against Kenan Yildiz was a moment that showed he belongs and can compete at this level. Freeman has improved at every challenge that has come his way, and when it comes to the World Cup, that will be no different. Closing out the season, being able to make regular appearances for Villarreal showed his improvement in LaLiga and at the World Cup, he can rise to yet another challenge. Not only will he be a backup at wing back, but if push comes to shove, the 21-year-old defender may also need to be used as a third center back, showcasing his versatility.  

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Max Arfsten

USA • F • #18

ClubColumbus Crew

Age25

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BirthplaceFresno, Calif.

Caps18

Goals1

From the Olympics to the World Cup, the Columbus Crew man has shown the path that youth players can follow if they’re put into the right situations. Able to come in as a wing back or further up the pitch as a winger, if Pochettino needs a change of pace. The USMNT are quite deep at wing back, but each one in the team can bring something different to the table.

Auston Trusty

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USA • D • #6

ClubCeltic

Age27

BirthplaceMedia, Pa.

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Caps6

Goals0

Auston Trusty has had a wild ride in Europe, from being part of one of the worst defenses in Premier League history with Sheffield United to representing Celtic in Champions League play. Because of his experience, there isn’t much that he hasn’t seen before, despite only being 27. Going through three managers and needing a final-day victory to win the Scottish Premiership title is something that has helped Trusty develop strong nerves, which will serve him well with the pressure of the World Cup on his shoulders. Trusty is also another player who will look for a strong showing in pre-World Cup friendlies in order to earn the third starting center back role ahead of facing Paraguay to kick off the group stage.

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Joe Scally

USA • D • #23

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ClubBorussia Monchengladbach

Age23

BirthplaceLake Grove, N.Y.

Caps24

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Goals0

No matter the national team, World Cup rosters are usually made up of players with multiple skillsets and Joe Scally fits the bill from that standpoint. The 23-year-old, one of the team’s young veterans who also made the trip to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has historically played as a fullback for the national team and at the club level with Borussia Monchengladbach. Pochettino, though, has opted to use Scally as a center back in a back three, which might end up being his role at the World Cup if some of his teammates become unavailable. “I have a great relationship with the coach,” he said this month. “He just pretty much reiterates to play well at your club, get playing minutes, so I think that’s the main thing, to kind of just keep doing that. It puts me in the best possible place to be there at the World Cup and arrive at that 100%.” He will also have a friend along for the ride – he and Gio Reyna first befriended each other as products of New York City FC’s academy and are now teammates at ‘Gladbach. “I think spending a lot of time off the field and my wife and his fiancée also becoming very close — and also our dogs,” Reyna noted. “We were already close, but it feels like we’ve gotten even closer.”

Midfielders

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Weston McKennie

USA • M • #8

ClubJuventus

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Age27

BirthplaceFort Lewis, Wash.

Caps64

Goals12

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The heart and soul of the USMNT, you don’t need to watch the team in action for long to see Weston McKennie’s importance to the squad. Some of his food takes may be controversial, but he keeps players motivated during training and pops up to do whatever is needed during a game. Pochettino has described Juventus as “Weston McKennie plus 10,” which is a nod to his versatility playing almost every position but goalkeeper, but also his importance to the squad, where he has become one of the first names on the team sheet. Given that McKennie is coming off a season where he scored nine goals and assisted eight more, this could be a World Cup that puts McKennie through the stratosphere. Even if things aren’t going well, he’s not a player who lets it get to him, as he has had to fight to get back into the Juventus XI multiple times during his career. McKennie also brings a danger from set plays where he can lose his marker and score with a header, so for all the right reasons, he’ll be a player who you can’t take your eyes off of when watching the USMNT in action.

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Tyler Adams

USA • M • #4

ClubBournemouth

Age27

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BirthplaceWappinger, N.Y.

Caps52

Goals2

The USMNT are one team when Tyler Adams is on the pitch and another one entirely when he isn’t. The 2022 World Cup captain has spent much of the last four years on the sidelines with different injuries, no one in the depth chart able to unseat him as the presumed starter at the base of the U.S. midfield. It is an appropriate position for Adams to play — he is the USMNT’s metronome, a player so talented Pochettino tried to recruit him for his Chelsea side a year before he took the U.S. job. He boasts a natural poise on the field, visible even as a 16-year-old who scored his first goal by outdoing the Blues in a friendly months after they won the Premier League title. Adams has described himself as fearless, to the point that he is clear-eyed about what he wants to accomplish this summer. “The journey that we’re on is growing the sport in America,” he said last year after two crushing defeats in the Concacaf Nations League finals. “We’re kind of trying to be the catalyst in doing that and with that, you need to have success so to give people optimism, obviously. I think for us, we need to make a bigger effort and [be] a team where people can get behind and support, whether it’s through passion, whether it’s through an amazing style of play, whether it’s through winning games, scoring amazing goals, whatever it is, but winning breeds that optimism for sure.”

Brenden Aaronson

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USA • M • #11

ClubLeeds

Age25

BirthplaceMedford, N.J.

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Caps57

Goals9

Not quite an eight and not quite a 10, Brenden Aaronson’s work rate has made up for his positionless play, keeping him in the lineup for Leeds United and in the mix for the national team. Another player who has had to prove himself time and time again, Aaronson has rebounded from moments like Leeds fans booing him off the pitch to providing a little bit of everything with four goals and five assists in all competitions. Even when it seemed like the 25-year-old had fallen down Pochettino’s pecking order during the September international break, Aaronson has been able to be a menace when pressing and make sure that he brings plenty to a squad even when he isn’t scoring. 

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Malik Tillman

USA • M • #17

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ClubBayer Leverkusen

Age23

BirthplaceNuremberg, Germany

Caps28

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Goals3

Malik Tillman is perhaps the greatest beneficiary of Pochettino’s open-door policy. The Germany-born midfielder was resigned to a spot warming the USMNT’s bench under ex-coach Gregg Berhalter, but became an important cog in the USMNT’s wheel during a transformational outing at last summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. The U.S.’ attacking operation is likely to run through Tillman, who can pick out an impressive pass and has an eye for goal, too, crediting a foundational spell at PSV for his improved finishing and ability on free kicks — and for paving the way for a move to Bayer Leverkusen as Florian Wirtz’s replacement. The move actually introduced him to Pochettino’s back three set-up before the national team coach implemented it, Tillman finding it to be a perfect fit for his skillset. “We want to have possession as much as possible,” he said about Pochettino’s tactical approach. “We want to score goals. We want to play an attractive, offensive football, so I think this suits me very well … I really like the system.”

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Sebastian Berhalter

USA • M • #14

ClubVancouver Whitecaps

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Age25

BirthplaceLondon, England

Caps11

Goals1

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Compared to his teammates, who had started their national team careers in their early 20s, Sebastian Berhalter is a bit of a late bloomer. The midfielder laid low during stints at the Columbus Crew and Austin FC but things have trended upwards in recent years with the Vancouver Whitecaps, earning him a spot on the USMNT’s Gold Cup roster a year ago. He is one of a handful of fringe players who have made their moments count. Berhalter rounds out the depth chart, but comes to the World Cup with a special prowess for set pieces, which could make him a fairly frequent substitute this summer. Berhalter is a personification of Pochettino’s attempts to foster competition in a once tight-knit U.S. team. “Players like Sebastian Berhalter that scored unbelievable goals the other day that we didn’t call for different football decisions, this type of performance makes us to say maybe next time [he should be] with us,” Pochettino said in October, “but that is how you force the players that are here, seeing that type of behavior, attitude or performance, to improve.”

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Cristian Roldan

USA • M • #15

ClubSeattle Sounders

Age30

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BirthplaceArtesia, Calif.

Caps45

Goals0

Surprise standouts have had their moments on the USMNT’s road to the World Cup, Cristian Roldan amongst the most notable. The 30-year-old was part of the U.S. team in Qatar but had fallen off the radar almost completely – until a last-minute call-up in September. The spotlight finally landed on him when he notched two assists in the USMNT’s 2-1 win over Australia in October, after which Pochettino said Roldan possessed the attributes of a “perfect player” if you were to build one from scratch. It was a validating outing for a player who has spent his whole career in MLS while many of his U.S. teammates had cut their teeth in Europe. “I never really got the chance to play against the very best in the world,” he said after that game against Australia. “I didn’t play in the World Cup in ’22. I didn’t play in some of the bigger games with the national team. I never left Seattle and played in Europe, played in these [UEFA] Champions League games … I’m playing, I feel like, the best of my career. Unfortunately, it’s at age 30. I wish it was a little younger, but it’s great that number one, I’m getting seen, that I’m getting involved in camps and now feeling like I’m a part of the team.”

Giovanni Reyna

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USA • M • #7

ClubBorussia Monchengladbach

Age23

BirthplaceSunderland, England

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Caps36

Goals9

Gio Reyna might just be the most naturally gifted player in the USMNT’s player pool, but between a string of injuries, limited playing time at the club level, and a family feud, there was no guarantee he would make the cut for this summer’s World Cup. He seemed to know as much, too, in the final weeks before the squad was named, but was eager to make the point that he was willing to play whichever part was assigned to him. “Keep it pretty simple – I love the staff. I love the players,” he said earlier this month. “I love the national team. Obviously, whatever happens, happens. Really hoping and wanting to be there to make an impact and achieve something great with the team, but the decision is out of my hands and obviously just really hoping and waiting for the call-up.”  Reyna’s inclusion, though, feels like a signal that Pochettino values natural talent above all else — even if onlookers have only been treated to glimpses of it over a stretch of several years.

Forwards

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Christian Pulisic

USA • M • #10

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ClubMilan

Age27

BirthplaceHershey, Pa.

Caps84

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Goals32

If this is the USMNT’s golden generation, Christian Pulisic has been the team’s golden talent. He was already part of the senior national team’s set-up before he attended prom and has lived up to his potential in a lot of ways. He really started to prove himself as one of the sport’s notable attackers with his move to AC Milan in 2023, enjoying a handful of career-best seasons there. The face of his generation of USMNT players, though, enters the World Cup in the midst of a rough patch. He has not scored for club or country since Dec. 28, playing 22 games during that stretch. It is a problem Pochettino attempted to solve in March, positioning the versatile Pulisic closer to the goal in the hopes of scoring in the 2-0 loss to Portugal. It didn’t work that time, but Pochettino remained optimistic. “Unlucky, a shame a little bit that he didn’t score with the opportunity that he has. It’s normal,” Pochettino said at the time. “Yes, he feels frustrated, but that is what we want, what we expect, but he was fighting, he was committed in the phases that we demand more, and then with the ball, he’s going to score because he has the quality. I am sure that he is going to come back to his club, and in the moment he scores, he’s going to start to score again.”

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Folarin Balogun

USA • F • #20

ClubAS Monaco

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Age24

BirthplaceNew York, N.Y.

Caps25

Goals8

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After another strong season for Monaco, Folarin Balogun is making a case for being the top-scoring American player ever in a top-five league. With 45 goals in league play, he only trails Christian Pulisic (64) and Clint Dempsey (57) in half as many games played. Since Balogun has committed to the USMNT, that scoring has followed too. His ability to create space for himself to get shots off in tight areas is second to none in the squad, as for the first time in a while, the USMNT are entering the World Cup with a forward who should be feared. Integrating with the squad, Balogun is also stepping up as a leader. It’s easy to forget that he’s only 24, but performing under pressure from a young age will help Balogun in a World Cup on home soil, where the USMNT may face the most pressure of any team in the 48-team field. The narrative around this team has long been, “Oh, they do this well, but this team would be so great if they scored goals.” Balogun is here to bring these goals and then some, even if he isn’t touching the ball often.

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Ricardo Pepi

USA • F • #9

ClubPSV

Age23

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BirthplaceEl Paso, Texas

Caps35

Goals13

Ricardo Pepi, missing the plane for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, was a surprise to many, but this season with PSV, he has done plenty to ensure that he can’t be left home again, scoring 19 goals for the club and not even letting a broken arm slow him down from contributing for his club or country. Able to play as a lone forward using his speed to beat defenders, or alongside another attacker, he brings versatility and a hunger to the attack. With transfer rumors to Fulham also swirling, this World Cup is a chance for Pepi to be able to show the world what he can do while helping the squad to a strong performance on home soil.

Timothy Weah

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USA • F • #21

ClubMarseille

Age26

BirthplaceBrooklyn, N.Y.

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Caps49

Goals7

Tim Weah describes himself as the USMNT’s Swiss Army knife, boasting both a wide range of on-field talents as a winger and a wing back and a diverse set of off-field interests. Weah has an appropriately layered personality for his unique origins — he is one of three players on the U.S. World Cup team with a former player for a parent, Weah’s father, George, still the only African player to win the Ballon d’Or. Weah’s soccer story, though, is rooted in the lesser-known Queens neighborhood of Rosedale, where his family coalesced in a pocket of Caribbean communities familiar to his Jamaican mother Clar. He scored the USMNT’s first goal at the 2022 World Cup, but his favorite memories from Qatar were the small moments watching movies and TV with teammates he’s known since they were in their teens. His tastes vary, naturally — “I watched the new ‘Dracula,’ absolutely loved it,” he said, referencing the film by French director Luc Besson. “I want to watch the Michael Jackson biopic. I haven’t watched that yet.” The foodie also has a fondness for cooking competition shows. “I love the Food Network. I watch Bobby Flay. I love it. I love ‘Iron Chef.’ There’s this new one – I don’t think it’s on the Food Network, but it’s this new one with Gordon Ramsay, ‘Next Level Chef’ … ‘Top Chef’ … It’s like a comfort watch. Food Network’s like a comfort watch for me because when I was a kid, I used to put it on all the time.”

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Haji Wright

USA • F • #19

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ClubCoventry City

Age28

BirthplaceLos Angeles, Calif.

Caps20

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Goals7

Pochettino’s tenure with the USMNT will be defined by the chances he handed out to a wide variety of players, several grabbing those opportunities with both hands. The list includes Haji Wright, who scored the U.S.’ last goal at a World Cup and returns to the tournament on the back of an 18-goal season for Coventry City. His road to the World Cup has been marred by injuries, but Wright has proven himself to be a capable option, truly standing out with both goals in a 2-1 win over Australia in October. “That is what we expect when you give the opportunity to the player, no?” Pochettino said at the time. “I think that is good news to have players that can compete for a spot in the World Cup. I think every time that we can have the possibility to provide the player — maybe they didn’t play too much in the last year with us — I think that is an important thing. It’s to say, ‘I am here and I want to play. I want to be part of this team,’ and with [a] performance like this, it’s for sure a player that performed like that, Haji can be close. It’s possible to be involved.”

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Alex Zendejas

USA • M • #26

ClubClub America

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Age28

BirthplaceCiudad Juarez, Mexico

Caps13

Goals2

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Out of the USMNT picture due to injuries since the September international break, when he scored off the bench against Japan, Alex Zendejas’ manager, Andre Jardine, has been one of the biggest leaders of the Zendejas to the World Cup campaign. Jardine called Zendejas one of the best midfielders in Liga MX, and he followed that lead, scoring six goals and assisting three more in 2026 while closing out the season as one of the most in-form American attackers. Zendejas brings something different to the attack, being so comfortable shooting or setting up his teammates, and he’s not going to take anything for granted following the difficulty of performing while dealing with injuries. Pochettino has continued to state that the door is always open for players, and Zendejas’ making it to the World Cup does show that.

The Vegas Golden Knights punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in its short history on Tuesday night as they swept the Colorado Avalanche 4-0.

The Golden Knights accomplished the feat after making a bizarre move toward the end of the regular season. Vegas made the abrupt move of firing head coach Bruce Cassidy and replacing him with John Tortorella with just eight games left in the regular season.

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Vegas head coach John Tortorella’s refusal to speak to the media after Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks is costing him and the team more than they probably expected. (Rob Gray-Imagn Images)

Vegas won seven of its last eight games of the season, only losing in a shootout to the Seattle Kraken. The surge helped the team solidify a spot in the playoffs. They later defeated the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks in six games each on their way to knocking off the Western Conference’s top seed, the Avalanche.

“It’s by far our best game,” Tortorella said after the Game 4 win. “(Checking is) something we’ve been concentrating on, and I think we’ve gotten better and better through the rounds. But tonight’s game was our best checking effort, and that’s a hell of a hockey team we played over there.”

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Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella watches during the first period of Game 1 in the Western Conference finals against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on May 20, 2026. (David Zalubowski/AP)

Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored in the Golden Knights’ 2-1 win.

Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart made 20 saves and believed that the team’s defense was frustrating Colorado.

“I think once we scored that first goal, in the second and third period we just kind of locked it down and kept pressure on them,” Hart said. “We did a great job. We had some huge blocks tonight.”

Tortorella is now four wins away from picking up the second Stanley Cup title of his career. He guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the championship in 2004 but hasn’t been back since.

Vegas Golden Knights centers Colton Sissons, Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel celebrate after winning Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Colorado Avalanche in Las Vegas on May 26, 2026. (John Locher/AP)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone celebrates after winning Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Stanley Cup playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche in Las Vegas on May 26, 2026. (John Locher/AP)

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Vegas will meet the winner of the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

If the San Antonio Spurs aren’t able to win two straight games in this Western Conference Finals that they now trail 3-2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Victor Wembanyama is going to regret his Game 5 performance for a long time. This was the biggest game of his life and he laid an egg with 20 points and six rebounds on 4-of-15 shooting in a 127-114 loss. He only reached the 20-point mark because he piled up 12 free throws.

The six rebounds is inexcusable for Wembanyama, a skyscraper of a human being at 7-foot-4. The four buckets speak more to Wembanyama’s weakness — in more ways than one — as a 22-year-old who is still, as crazy as it sounds, in the infancy stage of his basketball development. 

And here it is: Wembanyama does yet operate consistently enough in the paint. It’s not exactly a revelatory observation that the dude who can damn near reach the rim without lifting his feet off the ground should be playing closer to the basket, but it’s the truth nonetheless. 

Sometimes Wembanyama gets down there, as he did in Games 1 and 4. Not coincidentally, those are the games the Spurs won in this series. And sometimes he doesn’t, as was the case in Games 2 and 3, and most painfully, Game 5 on Tuesday. If all you do is put Wemby’s Game 1 shot chart (a 41-point, 24-point masterpiece) next to his Game 5 shot chart (Tuesday night’s clunker), you already know which game the Spurs won and which one they lost. 

It has been said that great strengths can also be great weaknesses, and in this case, Wembanyama’s ability to play a skill- and too often perimeter-based game that nobody his size has ever been able to play has, at least for now, clouded his offensive judgment in terms of where his true advantage lies. 

Great scorers score on their terms, from their spots, but Wembanyama doesn’t have any ironclad terms or spots yet. He is something of an offensive free agent, willing to listen to any and all defensive offers and then accept whatever option strikes his fancy in the moment. 

That needs to change. And it will. Wembanyama needs to establish an offensive office — the spots and shots he goes to when it’s time to work. Not because the defense broke a certain way to allow it, but because he owned the possession from the start. This is Kevin Durant at the elbow. Luka Dončić or Houston James Harden getting to the step-back. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander separating in the midrange. Carmelo Anthony facing up. Stephen Curry saying “screw it” when the off-ball movement isn’t working and just running high pick-and-roll for a pull-up 3.  

It’s plainly evident in a game like Tuesday night that when the circumstances of an offensive possession don’t play out a certain way, Wembanyama can’t consistently bend them to his will. Defensively, he’s the best player on earth and it’s not particularly close. Offensively, he’s a jack of all trades but master of none. The paint needs to be his point of mastery. 

But understanding this need to set up in and operate from deeper positioning is only half the equation. The other half is having the physical force to actually do it. That’s the literal weakness in Wemby’s game right now. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has put Isaiah Hartenstein on him, and the 250-pound Hartenstein is just bullying him farther out on the court. Through the first 19 minutes of Game 5, Wembanyama had two buckets and one rebound. He’s 7-foot-4. That is a guy who is literally being pushed out of a game. 

There are different ways to dominate in the paint. Wembanyama is obviously a terrifying roller, but he doesn’t do this consistently enough. He often sets the pick and pops to the 3-point line. Other times, he flares out and simply serves as a floor spacer for the rest of a possession. 

When he tries to catch at the elbow and attack downhill from there, he’s often not strong enough to hold his line to the basket. At points, he’s having to resort to firing balls off the backboard intentionally to try to get his own offensive rebound because his initial foray has looked like, well, an extremely skinny guy running into a brick wall. 

After the Miami Heat lost in the 2011 Finals to the Dallas Mavericks in a series in which he was exposed, embarrassingly, for his inability, or unwillingness (or probably a combination of both) to punish Dallas for guarding him with small defenders in the post, LeBron James famously spent the summer working out with Hakeem Olajuwon to develop his back-to-the-basket game. It took his domination to another level in the years to come, and it’s still buoying his scoring at 41 years old. 

Generally speaking, post-up offense isn’t the way the game is played today. Teams wants spacing. Wembanyama, as a 3-point threat, pulls opposing centers out of the paint, which is good for spacing. He’ll probably never be a guy who consistently plants himself on the block. He shouldn’t be, in fact. 

But he needs to develop both the strength and mentality to force his way into the paint when push comes to shove. Be it as a roller, facing up from deeper pre-pass positioning (which requires more strength to earn), or simply attacking quickly with real intent before the defense can get set, good things are going to happen even if Wembanyama isn’t the one scoring because of all the attention his paint presence draws. Like this:

There just weren’t enough attacks like this from Wemby in Game 5. There weren’t enough lobs. Post-ups. Seals. There certainly weren’t enough offensive rebounds, of which he had just one. You just cannot stress the obvious enough: This is the tallest guy on the court by a wide margin. Sure, it’s cool to be able to shoot 3s and show off your handle and pull-up over any contest, but winning is cooler. 

And right now, this feels like the difference between the Spurs winning and losing this series. When Wembanyama plays in the paint, they win. When he doesn’t, they lose. This game was there for the taking. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another mediocre night by his standards (32 points, yes, but just 7 for 19 shooting) and Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell didn’t even play. 

The Spurs were within eight with seven minutes to play despite shooting 29% from 3 and killing themselves with out-of-control and, at times, just straight-up airhead turnovers. Relatively speaking, Wembanyama didn’t show up for this one when a signature performance would’ve likely led to the Spurs going back home with a 3-2 lead and a chance to clinch an NBA Finals showdown with the New York Knicks rather than on the ropes of elimination. 

But it’s still there for the taking. Again, it’s not that Wembanyama never asserts himself inside. He does it about half the time. If Game 6 on Thursday is the right half for San Antonio, we could very well be headed to a Game 7. At which point, throw everything out the window; anything can happen in one game. 

Understand, this isn’t so much a critique of Wembanyama as it is an observation. The evolution of a superstar doesn’t happen all at once. Wembanyama has ascended at a meteoric pace, but offensively, he’s not quite at the level of the best players in the world, even though his overall impact warrants inclusion in that conversation. 

But he’s a lot better than he was on Tuesday, when he and the Spurs missed a golden opportunity to take control of this series.