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“Why not us?”
That’s the question U.S. men’s team manager Mauricio Pochettino is asking about the United States’ chances of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And with all 26 players selected for this summer’s tournament, we can dig deeper and see who could start in the June 12 opener against Paraguay.
FOX Sports soccer analysts Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden, alongside reporters Doug McIntyre and Laken Litman, give their starting lineup projections.
Opt for a Back-Five configuration
In goal, Lalas has Matt Freese against 2022 starter Matt Turner, a choice he acknowledges may not be the most popular, but would make nonetheless.
While some modern coaches prefer to refer to this shape as a “three back,” Lalas explained on Tuesday’s “Alexi Lalas State of the Union” episode after the roster revealed that the United States should embrace the defensive stability of a true five back.
“A lot of times people say, ‘Oh, we’re playing three.’ When in reality, they’re playing in the background as a five-piece. They just don’t want to say it, because it seems defeatist,” Lalas said. “But it’s a back five.”
In theory, this structure would allow Antonee “Jedi” Robinson and Sergiño Dest to move forward as wingers while anchoring the central defense with the trio of Tim Ream, Chris Richards and Alex Freeman.
In front of them, Lalas deploys the proven and serious duo of midfielders Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie.
By locking down the center of the pitch, it would free up Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun to lead the attack alongside Tim Weah, who Lalas believes must remain in his traditional right-wing position rather than being asked to drop back and defend.
Gio Reyna’s “wrinkle”
Holden agreed on defensive personnel but threw a curveball into the midfield room.
Rather than playing it safe with a standard double pivot, Stu introduced a fascinating “wrinkle” by placing Gio Reyna in a deeper, tempo-determining role.
“Here’s my little wrinkle…I have Gio Reyna, who plays a little deeper,” Holden said. “He’s a guy I want to pass the ball forward from that position. I don’t think Tyler Adams is. It’s probably more likely, if I’m honest, that McKinnie is further back and Reyna is further forward.”
Supported by the safety net of three centre-backs, Holden suggests Adams could operate as a lone pivot, pushing McKennie and Reyna higher when in possession.
Holden says the fluid 3-3-3-1 configuration gives the United States unique tactical flexibility in breaking down low blocks.
Our FOX Sports football editors Doug McIntyre and Laken Litman also contributed their starting projections. Let’s look at their catches:
Adams, McKennie Man The Middle
There were a few surprises in Mauricio Pochettino’s final 26-man World Cup roster, including midfielders Tanner Tessman and Diego Luna not making the squad.
Both are dealing with injuries, and it’s unclear if that played a role in their omissions. Tessman was thought to be a potential starter, but with him not in the team, Pochettino may only be using one midfielder in Adams, with McKennie having the freedom to move around, as he did successfully for club Juventus and the US team.
He can also come back and defend, but it looks like Pochettino will opt to play three central defenders with Robinson or Dest serving as the wingers moving forward. Balogun is the starting striker and this opening match against Paraguay is a huge opportunity to prove why he is the No.1 with Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright chomping at the bit to get in there. –Laken Litman
Is there more to destiny? Sergiño in attack
Pochettino’s selection is thin in the middle but deep on the flanks – an indication that the former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager will play with three centre-backs and two full-backs, which crowds out another player, likely in the heart of the pitch.
This could place additional responsibility on defensive midfielder Tyler Adams, who won’t have another game-winning ball alongside him. Pochettino is not worried, however, noting that several players can be deployed centrally in addition to Adams, including reserves Sebastian Berhalter and Cristian Roldan.
Weah pairs with Jedi at full-backs, which would allow Dest to play more in a winger position up top, the place Pochettino has used him previously. Dest has always been keen to move forward and could provide support to the attack which already includes playmakers Pulisic and McKennie. –Doug McIntyre
FIFA World Cup 2026: how to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34), with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, along with the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
