A home World Cup is an exciting prospect always, and with the United States Men’s National Team seeming to be finding its form under Mauricio Pochettino, fans are eagerly eying the summer. First order of business is who will be there in the shirt, and to find out, we’ve gone to EA FC 26 and its ratings to find the 26 best Americans. Here’s what we found.
The First Choice XI
Although the relative talent of the US side has leveled out as more depth arrived on the scene, the top-end ability on offer is still at or among the highest levels in USMNT history. Here’s the predicted Starting XI:
- Goalkeeper – Matt Turner 74 OVR: It is borderline bizarro world territory for the net to be the source of America’s biggest weakness after so long as a keeper factory, even when the outfield was more of a question mark. Nonetheless, that’s where things sit for 2026, with EA FC backing Turner to ultimately claim the #1 shirt.
- Left Wing Back – Antonee Robinson 82 OVR: As an Arsenal fan I remember being terrified going into the England match at the last World Cup based on what I’d seen of Robinson trying to mark Bukayo Saka in the league. One cycle later, Robinson is now one of the more talented and respected right backs in all of England. He is an absolute no-brainer in any USMNT roster and has that left back spot on total lockdown.
- Central Defender – Cameron Carter-Vickers 79 OVR: While not a position where the United States has had many world-level talents through the years, it’s also a position that has usually been capably filled by solid if unspectacular options. In Carter-Vickers the US has the start of potentially its best central pairing in quite some time.
- Central Defender – Chris Richards 77 OVR: Next to Carter-Vickers will likely be Chris Richards of Crystal Palace. A Premier League defender for one of last season’s feel-good sides, Richards has a strong hold on the position.
- Right Wing Back – Sergino Dest 79 OVR: While it’s probably fair to say that Sergino Dest’s career trajectory hasn’t gone quite as meteoric as it looked when he was getting regular minutes at Barcelona, he remains one of the best and most accomplished players in US history and he remains the best choice to play out on the right according to FIFA who rates him highly enough to be the sixth-best player in any position.
- Midfielder – Johnny Cardoso 81 OVR: Atletico Madrid was off to an uncharacteristically mediocre defensive start to the year, only to have allowed just two goals since the end of September to once again move atop the Goal Allowed table. For the United States to be able to plug a defensive midfielder from the best defense in Spain right into its starting XI is a wonderful luxury to have.
- Midfielder – Tyler Adams 79 OVR: Rounding out the base of the midfield, Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams is an experienced Premier League professional who has proven his ability to hang in the midfield against even the biggest sides in the world. Working alongside Cardoso, he provides a solid defensive platform for the midfield, freeing up the remaining midfield slot to go to a more offensively geared option.
- Midfielder – Malik Tillman 82 OVR: The United States has a strong tradition of German-born players in recent years, and Malik Tillman may just be the best of the bunch. While in the past players like Jermaine Jones have been excellent servants on the national team, they were not also performing at the club level for a club in the Champions League, and just two years removed from one of the more shocking upset championships in modern history.
- Left Wing – Christian Pulisic 84 OVR: The former brightest young talent in American soccer turned best player in the history of American soccer, Christian Pulisic, has reached a level unmatched by a United States outfield player and continues to be an essential cog of the USMNT. A player used to performing for Champions League and Big Five title-contending sides, Captain America is the first name on the American team sheet for a reason.
- Right Wing – Timothy Weah 77 OVR: Stepping into his professional career carrying the famous name of his father, George, Timothy Weah has made a name for himself. Currently embroiled in a title challenge for Marseille in France, which is not yet academic, which is not always true of PSG’s processionals, Weah will be hoping to turn that successful club season into positive momentum ahead of the US’ home World Cup.
- Striker – Folarin Balogun 77 OVR: For a moment, American Arsenal fans could get their hopes up that their club and country had both found their future 9, and while the former didn’t quite shake out, he’s still considered the top choice to lead the American line this summer. Although not scoring for fun like in his breakout loan season, Balogun has shown the finishing ability to be a useful point to the United States’ spear.
In Reserve
A reliable bench is important for any tournament where the short schedule means necessary rotation. Midfield carries the most intrigue for this squad, with players like Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna no doubt eying starting spots of their own, while in defense, Auston Trusty may benefit from his club pairing with Carter-Vickers:
- Goalkeeper: Zack Steffen (73 OVR), Stefan Frei (72 OVR)
- Defense: Walker Zimmerman (75 OVR), Joe Scally (74 OVR), Auston Trusty (74 OVR), Tim Ream (74 OVR) Ryan Hollingshead (72 OVR)
- Midfield: Weston McKennie (78 OVR), Darlington Nagbe (75 OVR), Djordje Mihailovic (75), Tanner Tessmann (75 OVR), Giovanni Reyna (75 OVR)
- Attack: Ricardo Pepi (76 OVR), Josh Sargent (75 OVR), Julian Gressel (73 OVR)
As things stand, this is EA FC 26’s 26-man roster for the summer, but do you agree or do you see one or more spots that would be better spent on alternative options.
