Predicting USMNT Roster For 2026 World Cup Under Mauricio Pochettino

• Tim Ream, Charlotte FC
• Chris Richards, Crystal Palace
• Miles Robinson, FC Cincinnati
• Mark McKenzie, Toulouse

The U.S. should be worried about its center-back pool.

Tim Ream is 36 and Chris Richards was poor at the Copa America, while Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie have never been anything more than serviceable for the USMNT.

And yet, who else on the depth chart is playing the disruptor role right now? Who else is making legitimate case that they have to be included in the 2026 squad?

At this moment, the answer is simple: No one.

For McKenzie, the idea is a summer move from Belgium to the French top flight will help him take the next step.

With chaos around him in the backline at Palace, Richards could be in line for even more minutes in the Premier League than last year.

For Ream, the hope is to stave off decline for as long as possible.

Really, though, the hope for Pochettino is that a new starting-caliber central defender emerges between now and 2026.

• Sergino Dest, PSV Eindhoven
• Joe Scally, Borussia Monchengladbach 
• Antonee Robinson, Fulham
• Caleb Wiley, Strasbourg
• Kevin Paredes, Wolfsburg

The top three names on the fullback depth chart just pick themselves at this point: Sergino Dest is a starter when healthy, Joe Scally is his capable backup, and Jedi Robinson is the go-to at left back. While a shake-up isn’t impossible in these outside back spots, continuity is the best bet.

In the depth spots, though, things are less clear. We’ve gone with a couple of left-footers in Caleb Wiley and Kevin Paredes. The former is fresh off a move to Ligue 1, while the latter has the added bonus of being able to play as an out-and-out winger.

At tournaments, versatility is key.