USA World Cup roster: 26 players called up for Qatar 2022 tournament

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The US men’s national team have named their roster for the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with head coach Gregg Berhalter announcing his 26 selections Wednesday.

GOALKEEPERS (3)

  • Ethan Horvath - Luton Town
  • Sean Johnson - New York City FC
  • Matt Turner -Arsenal

DEFENDERS (9)

  • Cameron Carter-Vickers - Celtic
  • Sergiño Dest - AC Milan
  • Aaron Long - New York Red Bulls
  • Shaq Moore - Nashville SC
  • Tim Ream - Fulham
  • Antonee "Jedi" Robinson - Fulham
  • Joe Scally - Borussia Mönchengladbach
  • DeAndre Yedlin - Inter Miami CF
  • Walker Zimmerman - Nashville SC

MIDFIELDERS (7)

  • Brenden Aaronson - Leeds United
  • Kellyn Acosta - LAFC
  • Tyler Adams - Leeds United
  • Luca de la Torre - Celta de Vigo
  • Weston McKennie - Juventus
  • Yunus Musah - Valencia
  • Cristian Roldan - Seattle Sounders FC

FORWARDS (7)

  • Jesús Ferreira - FC Dallas
  • Jordan Morris - Seattle Sounders FC
  • Christian Pulisic - Chelsea
  • Gio Reyna - Borussia Dortmund
  • Josh Sargent - Norwich City
  • Tim Weah - Lille
  • Haji Wright - Antalyaspor

World Cup schedule - Group B

After group-stage play, the top two finishers in each group will advance to the knockout stage. The final will be held Dec. 18 at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Roster facts

Nine MLS players are on the squad, which will become official once it's submitted before the FIFA deadline on Nov. 14. After the roster is submitted, injured players can be replaced up until 24 hours before the USA’s opening match against Wales.

After becoming the youngest nation to qualify for Qatar 2022 this spring (third place in Concacaf), 25 of 26 players have been selected for their first World Cup roster. DeAndre Yedlin is the lone holdover from the Brazil 2014 squad; the USMNT didn't qualify for Russia 2018.

The 26-player squad is the USMNT’s second-youngest World Cup roster with an average age of 25 years, 175 days when taking the field against Wales. Twenty-one of 26 players contributed to the USMNT's World Cup qualifying campaign.

Ins & outs

The USMNT’s roster does not include Middlesborough goalkeeper Zack Steffen, FC Dallas winger Paul Arriola and FC Groningen striker Ricardo Pepi. Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) and Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), two center backs, are both out injured.

But plenty of stars are on the plane, ranging from Adams and McKennie to Pulisic and Reyna. On paper, this could be the USMNT's most-talented roster to compete at a World Cup.

“We are excited to take this group to compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” Berhalter said in a release. “Final roster decisions are always difficult, and we appreciate everyone’s contributions who helped us get to this point.

"We believe we have a talented group, a strong team spirit, and one that is ready to compete. We are extremely proud and honored to represent the United States and appreciate all the amazing support from our fans as we head to Qatar.”

There'll also be an injury-minded collective breath held, with European clubs playing through the weekend. The MLS season ended last weekend when LAFC won MLS Cup over the Philadelphia Union, offering a longer break.