U.S. Men’s National Team coach Mauricio Pochettino unveiled his 26-man roster Tuesday for a potentially generational World Cup. The team features veterans, fresh faces and more than a few surprises.
But who made the cut for the U.S., which opens its World Cup campaign on June 12 against Paraguay? How did they get there? And what are they known for? Here’s
‘s a breakdown of midfielders:
Tyler Adams: The Young Statesman
Wappingers Falls, New York | Age: 27 | Team: Bournemouth (England)
National team appearances: 52 | Known for: Doing the dirty work
Former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter made Adams his team captain and de facto spokesperson for the 2022 World Cup when Adams was just 23. He was a full decade younger than the next-youngest captain at the tournament.
Adams faced tricky questions — with the USMNT’s group-stage match against Iran unfolding amid understandably tense exchanges on both sides— and handled them with ease.
Adams’ main job is to make everybody else look good, and he relishes his role in that dynamic.
“I’m not the one going out every weekend like Antoine Semenyo [then his club teammate at Bournemouth] scoring goals and dribbling by players and doing whatever,” he said at the start of the 2025-2026 Premier League season. “I want to do the work the other guys don’t necessarily want to do — to make them look as good as they can.”