Missing a World Cup, over email? Pochettino defends communication style with tough decisions behind him
The US head coach said there was no point in speaking to players directly, but some former US World Cup cuts disagree
On Tuesday afternoon, at the tail end of a picture-perfect New York City day, US Soccer unveiled the 26 players who will represent the United States at the 2026 World Cup. With the Brooklyn Bridge as the backdrop, the federation rolled out players one by one, marching them through a pair of doorways flanked by steam cannon.
Nobody in attendance was terribly surprised at the players that populated the stage; the 26-man roster had already been widely circulated thanks to reports in the Guardian and the Athletic in the days leading up to the announcement. Late last week, the 55 players on Pochettino’s provisional roster received word of their status from USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, with the 26 final selections receiving a video message from Pochettino himself. Quickly and somewhat predictably, news of those selections began to trickle out, and within 24 hours, the entire roster had been revealed.
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