USMNT roster leak shocks fans as Luna left out

Four days before Mauricio Pochettino was due to announce his USMNT World Cup roster, a leak hit the internet with Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and others expected to make the squad—but Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann are left out. The biggest twist comes

The lead-up to Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup roster announcement was supposed to be a celebration—US Soccer’s Federation planned a multi-hour special from New York City on Fox Sports, with the manager set to unveil his 26-man squad four days after this leak.

Instead, Saturday’s broadcast plan met an unwanted reality: the internet had already been handed a full list.

Reporters Pablo Maurer and Jeff Rueter of The Guardian obtained and released what is believed to be Pochettino’s complete roster. days before the United States were scheduled to hear it from the stage. The names on it largely matched what supporters expected—Christian Pulisic. Weston McKennie. Antonee “Jedi” Robinson and Tyler Adams—yet the omissions landed with particular weight. Real Salt Lake winger Diego Luna and Olympique Lyon defensive player Tanner Tessmann are not in the leaked 26.

The roster includes a clear core that should define Pochettino’s approach: three midfielders—Adams. McKennie and Cristian Roldan—along with Sebastian Berhalter. The leaked selection makes the midfield one of the roster’s defining stories. because Pochettino is believed to have left Tessmann behind despite having used the player. usually a holding midfielder. in a deeper role at times.

Tessmann’s absence appears connected to injury. He has been dealing with a muscle strain picked up earlier this month. Luna’s case looks different, but the message is the same: this is not a “wait-and-see” squad for players who were expected to be next.

On paper, Pochettino’s midfield becomes a smaller, more crowded decision. The leaked roster lists Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) and Weston McKennie (Juventus) as two of the standout midfield names in the US pool. with both considered likely starters. The other two—Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders) and Sebastian Berhalter—bring MLS experience into a tournament setting where continuity and minutes can matter.

Berhalter’s inclusion adds another shock layer. Gio Reyna is also on the roster.

Reyna is the centerpiece of a saga that never really faded after Qatar. His lack of use at the 2022 World Cup ignited one of the biggest scandals in American soccer history. involving his parents. former USMNT midfielder Claudio Reyna and mother Danielle. and the former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter. who was sacked after the United States crashed out of the 2024 Copa America in the group stages.

The Reynas filed a complaint after the 2022 World Cup that centered on Gio’s lack of involvement. A later leak of comments Berhalter made at a leadership conference—referring to the poor behavior of an anonymous player. later revealed to be Gio—pushed Danielle to attempt to damage the coach’s career. She contacted former USSF sporting director Earnie Stewart and USMNT general manager Brian McBride. telling them about a physical altercation Berhalter had been involved in with his wife in 1992. in an effort to derail his reputation.

After a prolonged investigation, the federation found the 1992 incident to be isolated and that it did not disqualify Berhalter from coaching.

Now the federation’s latest World Cup roster plan, as leaked, brings Reyna back into the center of the conversation—despite how difficult 2022 was for his family and his place in the national-team story.

Reyna’s inclusion feels even more surprising given how his career has looked since Qatar. Injuries stunted his growth, and at club level he struggled this season with Borussia Monchengladbach, recording just one goal and one assist and logging less than 600 minutes.

Luna, meanwhile, has been the player the leak makes you wonder about twice.

Luna has starred in World Cup advertisements and was expected to be called up after helping drive the USA’s Gold Cup run last summer. Even with an injury in 2026, he still posted four goals and one assist in nine MLS games. In the leaked list, he’s simply not there.

A USSF spokesperson told The Guardian that Pochettino “had nothing to do with the players selected to appear in those advertisements,” some of which were produced months earlier.

Other names on the leaked roster also carry a sense of unfinished business with Pochettino’s preferences. Alejandro Zendejas appears as one of the surprise inclusions. For the past two seasons. he has been among the top forwards in North America. yet he has not featured much under Pochettino—logging only 139 minutes across six matches. with his most recent appearance being a September 9 match against Japan.

The leaked 26-man roster itself is built with big-debut moments. Half of the names are making their World Cup roster debut.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese is listed among three goalkeepers (Chris Brady and Matt Turner are the other two) and is expected to start in net. Among defenders. several selections are debutants too. including Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards and FC Cincinnati center back Miles Robinson—players who likely would have made the 2022 roster if not for injuries.

Richards’ selection follows reports of a foot injury towards the tail end of Crystal Palace’s club season. The other defensive debutants on the leaked list are paired with veteran tournament experience elsewhere.

Up front, the debutants extend to the strikers. Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are both listed as World Cup debutants.

Pepi. who plays for PSV in the Netherlands. was passed over at the last World Cup in favor of Jesus Ferreira. who has not featured for the USMNT since the 2023 Gold Cup. Balogun’s route is different: he obtained a one-time switch to play for the USMNT in May 2023 after representing England at youth level.

There are seven other defenders, midfielders and attackers in the picture who complete the leaked roster list. The defenders are Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew). Sergiño Dest (PSV). Alex Freeman (Villarreal). Mark McKenzie (Toulouse). Tim Ream (Charlotte FC). Chris Richards (Crystal Palace). Antonee Robinson (Fulham). Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati). Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Auston Trusty (Celtic).

In midfield, the leaked roster lists Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus) and Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders).

The attacking midfielders and wingers are Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Christian Pulisic (Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille) and Alejandro Zendejas (Club América).

The strikers are Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV) and Haji Wright (Coventry City).

Pochettino was scheduled to unveil his choices through a US Soccer Federation broadcast from New York City on Fox Sports, with the squad announcement expected to finally settle the debates in real time.

Instead, the leak has already done something rarer than speculation: it forced the roster conversation to happen early—turning injuries, snubs, and the long shadow of 2022 into the first headline of what is supposed to be a clean build-up to the World Cup.

USMNT Mauricio Pochettino World Cup roster Christian Pulisic Weston McKennie Antonee Robinson Tyler Adams Diego Luna Tanner Tessmann Gio Reyna Berhalter Gold Cup Matt Freese Chris Richards Ricardo Pepi Folarin Balogun Alejandro Zendejas