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They come from all parts of the country and even from across the globe. Small towns and big cities. Sons of former soccer greats and even a Super Bowl winner.
These are the 26 players who'll represent the United States men's national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spread across three countries — the U.S., Canada, and Mexico — this summer's World Cup will be the biggest ever held. And these 26 players will have the rare honor of playing soccer's marquee tournament as co-hosts.
It's time to get to know them. What makes them special and what stands out about their journey. The country and the world will be watching.
JUMP TO: Forwards | Midfielders | Defenders | Goalkeepers
Age: 25Club: Leeds United (English Premier League)
Brenden Aaronson broke through with the Philadelphia Union when he was only 18 years old, and the expectations for his career have been sky-high ever since. He played two seasons for the Union from 2019-2020, when he had seven goals and nine assists in 51 matches and helped the team win the 2020 Supporters Shield as the best regular-season MLS team.
He joined Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in January 2021. Then just 19 years old, Aaronson’s transfer fee was the highest for a U.S.-based homegrown player in MLS history. He scored nine goals and had nine assists in two seasons, before joining Premier League club Leeds United in 2022 on a $30 million transfer fee. He has made 57 appearances for the USA and scored nine goals and seven assists.
Did You Know: Back in the day, they used to call Aaronson the "Medford Messi" for his creativity, technical skill and attacking ability — along with his hometown. That nickname isn’t used much in the Premier League, but it was fun when he was first starting out in his pro career.
Stat: Aaronson has made more than 100 appearances combined in the Premier League and Bundesliga. – Laken Litman
Age: 24Club: AS Monaco (French Ligue 1)
Folarin Balogun to score the bulk of the goals this summer. The hard-running striker found the net 18 times in 40 UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1 last season. Known as "Balo," the Arsenal academy graduate excels at stretching defenses, combining with Pulisic and finishing with a precision that the U.S. squad has lacked historically.
The soft-spoken forward is expected to spearhead the American attack when their World Cup campaign kicks off against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12. "My mind naturally wanders to the opening game of the World Cup, and just the atmosphere," Balogun told me last September. "It's almost like a freeze-frame, like a perfect image in my mind." It’s about to become reality.
Did You Know: Eligible to play for the U.S., England or Nigeria (homeland of his parents), Balogun represented the Three Lions at the youth national team level. Within the youth academies of England and Arsenal, Balogun played alongside midfielder Yunus Musah, who started each of the USA’s four games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Stat: Balogun scored in eight straight Ligue 1 matches for Monaco earlier this season, tying the all-time club record. – Doug McIntyre
Age: 23Club: PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie)
Ricardo Pepi is fighting to be the team's go-to striker. He’s a proven scorer with his club, where he’s netted 19 goals across all competitions for PSV during the 2025-26 season. But he hasn’t quite had the same success with the national team, scoring a total of 13 goals in 37 appearances since he made his debut with the squad in 2021. Granted, he’s been passed over at times, like when former manager Gregg Berhalter decided not to take him to the 2022 World Cup. Those experiences have helped shape Pepi and have given him a chip on his shoulder. He’s anxious to perform for the U.S. this summer.
Did You Know: There have been rumors for months about Pepi potentially transferring from PSV to Premier League club Fulham. A previous deal collapsed in March, but there’s still a chance the clubs will reach an agreement in the future.
Stat: Pepi has scored more than 55 goals in league competition over the
Written by: Lil' Fats | The Citizen Edition
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