MLS Season Kicks Off with USMNT Roster Spots Up for Grabs
2026 FIFA World Cup looms as U.S. Men’s National Team players return to MLS clubs in search of spots on Mauricio Pochettino’s roster
The start of the Major League Soccer regular season this weekend means a multitude of U.S. Men’s National Team hopefuls returning to action – and indicates the soccer world moving one step closer to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino is still making decisions for his World Cup roster and the first few months of the MLS season, along with the upcoming March friendlies in Atlanta against Belgium and Portugal, will be an opportunity for many of those wanting to represent the Stars and Stripes to make their case.
The USMNT is currently unbeaten against World Cup-qualified opponents in five consecutive matches, including the 2025 finale, an emphatic 5-1 victory against Uruguay. Here are some USMNT players who contributed to those results and are gearing up to compete this MLS season:
Defender Tim Ream played in 13 matches last year to bring his total to 79 USMNT caps. The 38-year-old has become a leader from the backline over his 15-year career with the U.S., captaining the squad 25 times and 16 under Pochettino. He started in all four matches for the U.S. in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and he is set to begin his second full season with Charlotte FC.
Another player on the U.S. backline alongside Ream is defender Miles Robinson, a two-time MLS All-Star and Best XI honoree who has earned 38 caps and scored three goals with the U.S. since his senior team debut in 2019. Robinson suffered an Achilles injury in 2022 which eliminated his chance at competing in Qatar. The center back kicks off 2026 with FC Cincinnati against his former club, Atlanta United FC, and Paraguayan midfielder Miguel Almirón, who is set to open 2026 FIFA World Cup group play against the U.S.
Cristian Roldan is beginning his 12th MLS season and is looking for another title with 2025 Leagues Cup winner Seattle Sounders FC. The midfielder returned to the USMNT in 2025 after a nearly two-year absence,assisting both goals in the 2-1 win over Australia in October and earning his 42nd and 43rd caps in November. After being named to the 2022 World Cup roster but not seeing any minutes on the field, Roldan looks to have a more central role this summer, especially with the U.S. hosting Australia in the group stage at his club’s home venue, Lumen Field.
"It's about the memories we make."@CristianRoldan + @SoundersFC took home a trophy last year and are looking for more in 2026. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/PacwVAFOYf
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) February 19, 2026
Last year, USMNT fans saw a lot more of Diego Luna, the 22-year-old currently competing with Real Salt Lake. It was a breakout year for the midfielder, who recorded four goals and four assists in 17 appearances.He scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Guatemala in the 2025 Gold Cup semifinal and was one of three Americans named to the tournament’s Best XI. Luna looks to not only make his first World Cup roster but to build off his 16 goal contributions last season with RSL to make a deep playoff run.
Defender Max Arfsten also broke onto the USMNT scene last year and earned his first 16 caps. The wingback tallied one goal and five assists and was named a nominee for 2025 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year. Arfsten is headed into his fourth season with 2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup champion Columbus Crew.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC host a trio that are also in the hunt to make Pochettino’s roster this summer. Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, defender Tristan Blackmon and striker Brian White had a stellar 2025 with the Canadian-based club that won its fourth consecutive Canadian Championship and reached both the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup Finals.
Blackmon earned his first two USMNT caps last fall and 2025 MLS Defender of the Year honors in his eighth professional season. Berhalter also earned all nine of his caps last year and scored his first international goal in the win over Uruguay. White scored his first international goal in January against Costa Rica in his third USMNT cap.
Unfinished business for Sebastian Berhalter and @WhitecapsFC in 2026. 🏔️ pic.twitter.com/2XhCRwvjDV
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) February 17, 2026
Taking over between the posts in the second half of 2025 for the U.S. was New York City FC’s Matt Freese. The 2025 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year Finalist earned his first cap in June, then started all but one of the remaining matches to finish the year with three clean sheets in 13 appearances. Freese looks to build on that momentum with NYCFC, which made it to the Eastern Conference Final last season.
Another goalkeeper to watch is Matt Turner, who played every minute and recorded two clean sheets for the U.S. in the 2022 World Cup. Turner made three appearances for Pochettino last year and returned to the New England Revolution on loan from Olympique Lyonnais in August. He’ll look to help the Revs improve from an 11th place finish in the Eastern Conference table in 2025.
Columbus Crew’s Patrick Schulte played in the 2025 opener, a 3-1 win against Venezuela, and FC Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano and Chicago Fire’s Chris Brady both earned call-ups last year, creating more competition among the goalkeeping group that will be one to watch heading into this summer.
Other MLS players in USMNT player pool:
⚽️ @MLS is back and here's what we're tuning in to this weekend! 📺 pic.twitter.com/G0AoU7Mz9P
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) February 20, 2026