Mauricio Pochettino Cuts Tanner Tessmann From 26-Man World Cup Roster

Mauricio pochettino unveiled the United States’ 26-man World Cup roster in Manhattan on Tuesday, and Tanner Tessmann was the biggest omission. The squad is set to go to the tournament next month, but it can still change before June 11 if an injury forces a replacement.

Pochettino’s 26-man call

Tessmann’s exclusion stood out because he had been involved in six camps under Pochettino and was one of 14 players to be called in from a pool of 71. Instead, Pochettino included Gio Reyna and Alejandro Zendejas as attacking midfielders and selected four central midfielders for the roster.

That leaves the United States with an official World Cup group that still has a narrow escape hatch. The roster is not fully locked until June 11, so any late injury could open the door to a change before the tournament begins.

Reyna and Zendejas stay in

Reyna’s place carries extra weight because he created issues in Qatar four years ago when he was not a starter. He has since logged 2,180 minutes with Dortmund, Nottingham Forest and Borussia Mönchengladbach since the start of the 2023-24 season, adding three goals and 14 starts across those clubs.

Zendejas brings a different kind of selection story. He had been called up for one of the last five USMNT squads, but he was left out of each of the last three squads before making this roster.

Tessmann’s case falls short

Tessmann’s numbers explain why the omission landed as the sharpest surprise. He made 22 starts and 29 appearances in Ligue 1, plus nine appearances and five starts in the Europa League, yet Pochettino still left him out of the 26-man group.

For Tessmann, that means the margin for error is gone unless an injury opens a spot before June 11. For Pochettino, the roster he unveiled in Manhattan shows which players he trusts most as the team moves toward next month’s World Cup.