From Gio Reyna and Alejandro Zendejas’ surprise inclusions to Diego Luna’s heartbreak - Winners and losers of the USMNT’s World Cup squad announcement

There was enough history to suggest that this was coming, but that never meant that it was a guarantee. Pochettino said it himself, though: Reyna is special, and you have to make big decisions when it comes to special players.

So, despite a lack of playing time, Reyna is in. It's easy to see why. Ultimately, regardless of his club situation, Reyna is a proven game-changer, particularly at the USMNT level. He proved that in two Nations League finals and he proved it again in the fall with a goal and an assist when reintroduced to the team. There is a finite number of players in the pool that can do what Reyna can do and, because of that, Pochettino wanted him in the squad.

"We need to trust our players who have experience. Gio, from the last camp to now, he was fantastic," Pochettino said. "He can add different things to the team. He has the quality to stop the ball and play with a teammate. I really trust in him. I trust in everyone."

Will it be worth it in the end? To be determined. It remains to be seen what Reyna's role is. Is he a game-changing supersub? Is he someone who could start against a Paraguay team he scored against just a few months ago? Is he a break-in-case-of-emergency option off the bench for a scenario where the tournament is in jeopardy and the U.S. needs a goal? Heck, he could be all three.

The main thing is that he's in the team, which means Pochettino sees some role for him despite all of the reasons to have some doubts.

"You need to have a player like him," Pochettino emphasized Tuesday.

Given all he's contributed over the last 18-ish months, it's hard not to feel for Diego Luna. He did everything right and, in the end, it didn't work out for him. He's not the first that's happened to and he won't be the last, but that won't make it feel any better to him.

Luna emerged as one of the stars of this cycle. His relentless energy helped set the tone for the start of the Pochettino era, as did his famous broken nose. He stepped up through the Gold Cup and remained a part of the picture through the fall. It looked as if he'd be, at the very least, an energy guy off the bench. Ultimately, though, there was no room for him.

It's not the first time this has happened to the Real Salt Lake star. He experienced a similar situation with the Olympics and had used that to fuel his World Cup push. Unfortunately, the endings to those stories were similar. This isn't the end of Luna's story, though. Just 22, it's easy to see Luna getting another chance next cycle as he looks to dust himself off and rebuild himself from the latest heartbreak.

There were simply too many permutations at center back. In the end, Pochettino went with one that few could have seen coming. It's a crowded group, but Pochettino did it anyway: he basically took all of them.

Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty and Miles Robinson are in as defined center backs. Joe Scally and Alex Freeman can play there, too. There was somehow room for all of them in the 26-man squad, which includes seven players who could realistically start in the three center back spots.

"It's important to have enough bodies in center back, which is why we have five for different reasons," Pochettino explained.

But it also raises some fair questions about Chris Richards’ fitness. The Crystal Palace defender’s availability for Wednesday’s Conference League final had been uncertain entering the day, though Palace announced Tuesday that he had trained.His place in the starting XI, however, was still to be determined.

“We see tomorrow if he plays, and then we see when he arrives," Pochettino said of Richards.

Palace announced Tuesday that Richards had trained, though his place in the starting XI was still to be determined. That does not necessarily mean Richards is a major concern for the U.S., but it does help explain why Pochettino may have wanted extra protection at the position.

It seemed likely someone in that group would be squeezed out. Instead, Pochettino kept them all, going heavy on central defenders while accepting significantly less depth in other areas of the squad.

That spot with less depth? Guess where that is?

In the end, Pochettino went with only three players he has traditionally used as central midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter and Cristian Roldan. Weston McKennie, who has started further up, is expected to drop back. Malik Tillman potentially could in a pinch but, yeah, that's it. There aren't many names here.

The names that are missing will be stunned. Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris looked to potentially start this summer, with both seemingly competing to play next to Adams in the XI. In the end, neither was fortunate enough to get the call-up. It was the biggest, boldest decision of Pochettino's squad-building, one that could be the difference between success and failure this summer. Despite a perceived lack of midfield depth, Pochettino stressed Tuesday that he wants the team to be flexible tactically.

"We plan it to be flexible in a tactical way," he said. "I think this roster provides us the possibility to play with back four, back three. [To] play with one holding midfielder, or playing with not holding midfielder...Maybe having a more offensive player in front of this back three."

Still, it's a brutal break for Tessmann and Morris on a personal level, two players who were around through this cycle but won't be a part of that big moment at the end of it.

To Zendejas' credit, his last USMNT appearance did result in a goal against Japan. Of the 18 games the U.S. played in 2025, though, Zendejas played in just two, totalling 84 minutes. It seemed he wasn't part of the plans, particularly after being left out in March.

As it turns out, though, he forced his way in, thanks to a standout run with Club America. With six goals and four assists in just 923 minutes, Zendejas has emerged as arguably Liga MX's best player. Pochettino couldn't overlook that, which is why Zendejas was a worthwhile addition to the squad.

"Alejandro offers a number of possibilities," Pochettino told reporters Tuesday. "He can play on the wings or in the midfield pockets. He's a good communicator and has strong relationships with his teammates. He's a very interesting player tactically."

Thanks to the combination of form and creativity that he's arriving with, Zendejas could have a part to play, too. We'll see how Pochettino uses him, but he clearly has a plan for Zendejas and, if he didn't, he wouldn't be here.

It was never a realistic hope, but there was hope nonetheless. In the end, though, there was no room in the 26 for some of the USMNT's fastest rising stars.

Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall have earned that label by scoring goal after goal in MLS. Adri Mehmeti has it, too, due to his tendency to run the show from midfield. None of the three ultimately made the USMNT squad, though, as Pochettino went with the tried and true by selecting only players he'd previously had in camp.

One player who had been in camp that wasn't included was Noahkai Banks. The young defender, too, missed out, although it's unclear whether that's of his doing or Pochettino's. After asking for time to mull over options with Germany, Banks will not play in the World Cup with either, but his focus has always seemingly been on the long-term anyway.

Speaking of the long term, the time for young players is coming. It'll be here right after the World Cup, as several names on this list look set to take a big leap forward after this summer's tournament.

GOAL's Tom Hindle contributed reporting from New York.