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U.S. Men\u2019s National Team<\/a> coach Mauricio Pochettino unveiled his 26-man roster Tuesday for a potentially generational\u00a0<\/span>World Cup<\/a>. The team features veterans, fresh faces and more than a few surprises.\u00a0<\/p>\n But who made the cut for the U.S., which opens it World Cup campaign on June 12 against Paraguay? How did they get there? And what are they known for? Here’s a breakdown of the attacking midfielders:<\/p>\n Bedford, New York | Age: 23 | Team: Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n National team appearances: 36 | Known for: Son of soccer star<\/strong><\/p>\n The roster includes players with famous fathers. Tim Weah\u2019s father was a Ballon D\u2019Or winner and a Liberian president. Sebastian Berhalter\u2019s father was a USMNT player and coach. But none of those men did more to shape the modern USMNT than Reyna’s father Claudio, one of the best American soccer players of all time.<\/p>\n There are upsides and downsides to that kind of legacy. Gio Reyna had access to the best possible training from a young age, but he also had to grow up in the shadow of his peerless father. And while the fathers of Weah and Berhalter largely stayed out of the spotlight and allowed their sons to thrive on their own merits, Reyna\u2019s father remains deeply invested in his son\u2019s success. His fury at Gio\u2019s lack of playing time at the 2022 World Cup\u00a0<\/span>nearly tore the USMNT apart.<\/a><\/p>\n Judge Gio separately from the actions of his father. Forget about the media frenzy his father stirred up in 2022 and focus on the incredible personal growth Gio has shown since then.\u00a0<\/p>\n When he returned to the national team last fall, it took him just four minutes to score. He doesn\u2019t need thousands of minutes to be impactful, and he doesn\u2019t need the specter of his famous father either.\u00a0<\/p>\n From: Hershey, Pennsylvania |\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Age: 27 | Team: AC Milan (Italy)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n National team appearances: 84 |\u00a0<\/strong>Known for: Being the Lebron James of soccer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Pulisic is the face of this USMNT squad, but he has a complicated relationship with the spotlight. He’s an introvert who\u2019d rather focus on the field.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cEven though I may not be the most outgoing person, I\u2019m one of the most competitive people you\u2019ll ever meet,\u201d\u00a0he said, per Goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u201cI love competing.\u201d And indeed, that shows through in his work \u2014 he has never been the most engaging interviewee, but you\u2019d be hard-pressed to find a more engaging player.<\/p>\n Pulisic has carried the weight of being the USMNT\u2019s next big thing since he was a teen. You don\u2019t keep that kind of hype alive without delivering when it counts, and Pulisic absolutely has. He\u2019s the USMNT\u2019s fifth-most prolific goalscorer of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But Pulisic hasn\u2019t scored a national team goal since the fall of 2024. Some of that is circumstantial \u2014 he has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries \u2014 but some of it is down to a crisis of confidence that affected his play outside the USMNT sphere.\u00a0<\/p>\n Can he turn it around in time for the World Cup? Come on. LeBron James wears his<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>jersey<\/a>. Don\u2019t bet against him.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGio Reyna: The Heir Apparent<\/h2>\n
Christian Pulisic: The Reluctant Superstar<\/h2>\n