The 26 players going to Qatar have been chosen, leaving a slew of hopefuls short of reaching the World Cup.
The 26 players who will represent the U.S. men’s national team on the World Cup stage are now known at last. While they have plenty to celebrate from a personal and collective standpoint, that leaves a whole slew of players whose World Cup dreams have been deferred—either for good or for at least four years, when the U.S. will co-host the 2026 event with Canada and Mexico.
Whittling down the player pool, as is the case for any national team, was always going to result in those getting the short end of the stick. Manager Gregg Berhalter turned to 38 players for qualifying—second-most in program history—so mathematically, at least 12 of those were not going to wind up making the trip to Qatar. And that doesn’t even take into account those who were late bloomers and those who missed qualifying either through injury or for other reasons, expanding the potential player pool even more.
Given Berhalter’s consistency and messaging in recent months, the vast majority of his selections for the final 26 weren’t all that surprising. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t any shocking omissions, though, while others who were not called upon had compelling cases, too. Before the focus turns fully toward those who will take on Wales, England and Iran in the group stage later this month, here are players whose efforts to go to Qatar evidently weren’t convincing enough—although given that European clubs are playing through this weekend, any late injuries keep the door open in case of emergency:
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The Major Gripes
Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough)
This is a bona fide shocker. Steffen has been the U.S.’s No. 1 goalkeeper (if not sometimes a 1B to Matt Turner’s 1A) throughout Berhalter’s tenure as manager, and he remained a fixture for the team even when he was hardly playing at Man City (as is the situation Turner is currently in at Arsenal). His loan move to Boro has resulted in the playing time he wasn’t getting at City—not all of his 16 starts covered in glory, for what it’s worth—though he did miss the last two U.S. windows since the end of qualifying, one for family reasons, another for injury. Even so, he and Berhalter go back to their MLS days together in Columbus, and he was expected to compete for starter’s minutes in Qatar. He’s still just 27, but he must wonder whether he’ll ever play in a World Cup, period.
Ricardo Pepi (Groningen)
A couple of months ago, Pepi’s omission would not have been a surprise in the least. He had gone 11 months without scoring for club or country, with a $20 million move to Augsburg in the Bundesliga turning out to be a flop. But a loan to Groningen in the Netherlands’ top flight has worked wonders for the player, his confidence and his stat sheet. With six goals in nine matches, it appeared the Pepi train was back on track. The 19-year-old has been passed over, however, with former FC Dallas teammate Jesús Ferreira, Josh Sargent and surprise late inclusion Haji Wright getting the call at center forward instead. There will be opportunities down the line for a player whose three World Cup qualifying goals were immense for the U.S. in its quest to reach Qatar, but this omission will surely sting.
John Brooks (Benfica)
Brooks, 29, is one of the few players still in the U.S. pool who has World Cup experience—who could forget his game-winning goal to open the 2014 World Cup vs. Ghana?—and he could be the center back in the pool with the highest ceiling as well. His physical tools and ability to distribute are not in question. But his September ’21 performance to open qualifying was abysmal, and he never appeared to recover, at least in Berhalter’s estimation.
His club situation didn’t help, and after leaving Wolfsburg on a free transfer in the summer, it took quite a while before he landed on his feet at Benfica. Even then, playing time was hard to come by before the U.S. roster was settled, and that, coupled with Berhalter’s insistence that he might not be best suited to play the high line that the U.S. hopes to employ at the World Cup, reduced any hints that he still had a shot at going to Qatar to lip service. Time will tell whether the U.S., whose center backs are a major area of concern, will regret how his situation was handled.
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Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin)
Pefok’s omission is difficult to comprehend as well. Coming off a golden-boot-winning season for Young Boys in Switzerland, he had been in top form for the Bundesliga’s surprise challenger up until a recent scoring drought, showing that his skills translate to the higher levels. His size and presence in the box are qualities the U.S. does not boast in abundance, and his ability to be an aerial threat on set pieces also gives him a leg up on other U.S. players. Even if he wasn’t going to start, you can envision a scenario in which the U.S., in need of a late goal while going for a win or draw (or to boost goal differential), throws Pefok on to create some havoc in the final third (à la his Concacaf Nations League semifinal winner vs. Honduras in June 2021). Nevertheless, the 26-year-old will sit this one out. One can only wonder how different Pefok’s U.S. outlook would have been had he converted a golden opportunity at Estadio Azteca in late March, when he completely bottled the chance to deliver a historic qualifying victory in Mexico.
Reggie Cannon (Boavista)
A Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup winner, Cannon had been a mainstay, albeit not a first-choice, right back when healthy, and he appeared to be ahead of Shaq Moore in the pecking order. It’s a crowded position, with Sergiño Dest, DeAndre Yedlin, Joe Scally and Moore all vying for time as well, but those four are the ones Berhalter has chosen, leaving the 24-year-old Cannon out of the mix.
Paul Arriola (FC Dallas)
Like Cannon, Arriola had been a regular under Berhalter. A two-time Gold Cup champion, Arriola figured to be in the running for one of the final places on the squad, given that he plays out wide, where the U.S. is fully stocked. It may well have come down to Arriola and Jordan Morris, with the Sounders veteran getting the edge.
Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati)
Vazquez’s 18-goal, eight-assist season in Cincinnati was not enough to merit a call-up at any juncture either during or after qualifying, and it got to the point where, according to what Vazquez said about his conversations with Berhalter, it was simply too late to integrate another new body into a group that’s already pretty settled. With the U.S. forward situation being notoriously unstable, it’s a bit surprising that he didn’t get a single look, but Sargent and Wright’s return to scoring form overseas likely spelled the end of any hopes Vazquez would have had. The 24-year-old remains eligible to represent both the U.S. and Mexico and is one to watch for the next cycle.
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Lesser Offenses
Malik Tillman (Rangers)
The 20-year-old was a late arrival in the U.S. pool, changing his international allegiance from Germany and making his debut in the spring. His upside is clear: He’s great in the air and aggressive going forward but perhaps required more consistency at his club and time to integrate with the national team to make the cut.
Eryk Williamson (Portland Timbers)
There’s an alternate universe in which Williamson isn’t just on the U.S. World Cup roster but a vital part of the midfield. He was a key part of the U.S.’s run to the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup title and appeared to be on course for a bigger role in qualifying when he tore his ACL at the end of August ‘21. The U.S.’s process continued without the 25-year-old, who is left to wonder what could have been.
Sebastian Lletget (FC Dallas)
Lletget went from being a fixture in the U.S. pool to an outsider rather abruptly, his last appearance coming in October 2021 and his last call-up taking place in the January-February ‘22 window of World Cup qualifying. At 30, and given the pool of young talent coming through the ranks, it’s hard to see Lletget making another push to a World Cup squad.
James Sands (Rangers)
Sands’s versatility to be able to play in central defense and the midfield figured to play to his favor, but his performances for club and country ultimately did not warrant a place among the final 26. Still just 22, some more seasoning abroad could result in a key role down the line.
Gianluca Busio (Venezia)
Busio was a hard-charger in the U.S. pool as he made the move to Italy from Sporting Kansas City, but form fell off, Venezia was relegated and Busio hasn’t been with the U.S. since qualifying ended. He’s just 20, and there’s a lot to like about his game and what he can supply to the U.S. midfield. Just not for this World Cup.
Djordje Mihailovic (CF Montreal)
Mihailovic was a bright find at the start of Berhalter’s tenure and then fizzled out before becoming one of MLS’s top creators and playmakers. His nine-goal, six-assist 2022 season followed a four-goal, 16-assist campaign in 2021, and he parlayed that success into a transfer to AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch top flight. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old will cast his eye toward ’26 after failing to re-grab Berhalter’s full favor.
Out Injured
Miles Robinson (Atlanta United)
Robinson may well have been a starting center back in Qatar, but the Achilles tear he suffered in May put an end to his World Cup hopes. Robinson is just 25, meaning there’s still one cycle left for him in what should be his prime years.
Chris Richards (Crystal Palace)
Richards, like Robinson, was potentially on track to start for the U.S. at center back but he was forced to withdraw from September camp with an injury from which he still hasn’t recovered. He hasn’t played at all since a Palace U-21 match on September 6. He confirmed his absence on Tuesday, saying he was “gutted that this injury has ruled me out of the World Cup but I know that the boys will go crazy.”
Daryl Dike (West Brom)
Injuries kept Dike from ever finding his footing at West Brom (he just returned for the club), robbing the U.S. of a physical presence with a deft finishing touch. At 22, he’s young, and another one to watch for the next cycle.
Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp)
Vines, who was part of the U.S.’s last full camp prior to the World Cup squad reveal, broke his leg days ago, removing him from contention. Likely second on the depth chart at left back, he had a good shout to go with the quality behind Antonee Robinson lacking, but the 23-year-old will have to be watching from home.
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