Pochettino Announces USMNT World Cup Squad Amidst Backlash

Mauricio Pochettino did not choose the easiest path. He chose the honest one, and that matters more when a World Cup dream is being taken away.

The USMNT manager named his 26-man World Cup squad on May 26, 2026, with the United States preparing for a tournament they are co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.

The backlash came after Herculez Gomez described the reported process as “diabolical,” amid criticism that some players were told by email that they had not made the final squad.

“It’s inexcusable. For [Diego Luna] to be one of the top three most capped players under Mauricio Pochettino, and to find out via email, that’s just wrong,” Gomez said.

That criticism was understandable. No player wants life-changing news reduced to an inbox notification. But Pochettino’s response was more convincing because it did not pretend a phone call would make the pain disappear.

Mauricio Pochettino gave the only explanation that mattered