The U.S. men’s national team is set to announce its official 2026 FIFA World Cup roster on May 26 at the Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City, the team’s first-ever live World Cup roster reveal. By then, manager Mauricio Pochettino will have decided on the final 26 players that will get to fulfill their dreams of representing the Stars and Stripes on home soil.
That squad will get to bond briefly in late, tune-up friendlies against Senegal and Germany at the end of the month before getting to straight to work, opening World Cup play in Group D against Paraguay on June 12.
As every fringe player makes a last-ditch effort to catch Pochettino’s eye, a few have fallen flat on their faces, while most are surging at the perfect time.
Here’s our stock up, stock down analysis for the USMNT.
USMNT Stock Up
Sergiño Dest
Sergiño Dest can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The star fullback for PSV Eindhoven is set to make his return from injury very soon, back on the pitch in time to not only see out the final slate of matches in the Eredivisie as PSV close out a dominant campaign in the Dutch top flight, but also work his way up to full fitness ahead of this summer’s grand showcase.
The 25-year-old has been sidelined for the past six weeks after suffering a hamstring injury on March 7, assisted off the field while clutching his left hamstring in pain. As a result, he missed the March international window, unable to assist the USMNT in devastating blows to powerhouses Belgium and Portugal.
“The first couple weeks [of injury], I did two sessions a day [of recovery],” Dest said in a YouTube video posted by U.S. Soccer on April 25. “I said to myself, ‘Hey, I want to be there at the World Cup, so I have to do everything in my power to be able to come back ASAP.’
“So, that’s what I did. I worked really hard, had long sessions, and now I’m here. I’m almost back. It will be a count of eight weeks in total. I saved some weeks to get myself fit and to be able to perform and be there for the national team.”
Although there is no exact return date for Dest yet, it could be as early as Saturday—which marks eight weeks to the day since his injury—potentially making a brief cameo against Ajax at Johan Cruijff Arena.
Dest was a key contributor for the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, starting all four matches at right-back, and if he can successfully regain full fitness, he will likely crack into Pochettino’s starting lineup.
“I am always hungry to be back with the national team,” he added. “I always want to be there with the boys...That feeling, going onto the pitch, with that jersey on, hearing the anthem, that is something really special.”
Timothy Tillman
LAFC midfielder and USMNT distant World Cup hopeful Timothy Tillman is making one last bid to impress Pochettino.
Tillman shined in LAFC’s 2–1 win against Liga MX juggernaut Deportivo Toluca on Wednesday in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, netting the first goal of the night at BMO Field.
The 27-year-old—the heart of his side’s offensive urgency all night long—finessed a bouncing ball from just inside the 18-yard box past goalkeeper Luis García in the 51st minute to give LAFC the swagger they needed to secure the win, despite the reigning Liga MX champions holding nearly 65% of possession throughout the match.
Tillman was not called up to Pochettino’s March international camp, last appearing for the Stars and Stripes in the November window. He made a second half appearance in the 2–1 win over Paraguay on Nov. 15 and started in the 5–1 win against Uruguay on Nov. 18. Those outings mark two of three total caps he has with the national team.
USMNT Stock Down
Tim Ream
Since suffering a groin injury against New York City FC on April 18, Charlotte FC center back and veteran USMNT star Tim Ream has missed three matches—all losses for the Crown—and is set to be sidelined for even more matches now.
Ream is at least out for Saturday’s league match against the New England Revolution, after suffering a “setback” in his recovery, per Charlotte reporter Will Palaszczuk on Thursday.
Although the 38-year-old could be back by next week, in time for the Crown’s game against FC Cincinnati on May 9, this is just the latest incident to spark concerns about his overall fitness ahead of the World Cup.
Ream looked overpowered on several occasions against younger, faster opponents in March’s international window, even conceding a hand ball in the second half of the match against Belgium, resulting in the visitor’s third of five total goals. The veteran is still projected to make Pochettino’s roster, but the extent to which he can successfully fortify the U.S.’s backline on soccer’s grandest stage remains to be seen.
Josh Sargent
There is a major striker battle going on right now for the USMNT, and it appears Josh Sargent is losing the fight.
The new MLS star addition, who made his league debut with Toronto FC on March 14 after a blockbuster $22 million signing from EFL Championship side Norwich City, isn’t playing poorly, per say. It’s just that everyone else is playing lights out.
Sargent has notched two goals and an assist in seven total appearances for Toronto; however, his output is nothing in comparison to AS Monaco’s Folarin Balogun or PSV’s Ricardo Pepi, both of whom cannot seem to stop scoring.
Balogun notched eight goals in as many consecutive games, a streak that began on Feb. 21. It was only recently broken on Saturday in a 2–2 draw with Toulouse. Pepi has scored five goals since that February date, including a brace on April 23 for a dominant 6–1 win over PEC Zwolle. The two of them have a combined tally of 25 goals in league play this season and are the top contenders for Pochettino’s No. 9 starting role.
Aside from them, Coventry City’s Haji Wright is also making an impressive bid, having been critical in the Championship side’s recent promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 2001. This all means that Sargent could be left at home, couch-bound come World Cup time.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Sergiño Dest Nearing Return, Tim Ream Setback.
