Reyna In the Middle? Three In The Back? Projecting USA’s World Cup Starters

“Why not us?” That’s the question U.S. men’s team manager Mauricio Pochettino is asking about the USA’s chances of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And with the 26 players selected for this summer’s tournament, we can go a step further and see who may be the starters in the June 12 opener against Paraguay. FOX Sports soccer analysts Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden, alongside reporters Doug McIntyre and Laken Litman, give their starting XI projections. Alexi Lalas: Go With A Back-Five Setup In goal, Lalas has Matt Freese over 2022 starter Matt Turner, a choice he acknowledges might not be the most popular, but one he would make nonetheless.While some modern coaches prefer to label the shape a “back three,” Lalas explained on Tuesday’s episode of “Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union” following the roster reveal that USA should embrace the defensive stability of a true back five.”A lot of times people say, ‘Oh, we’re playing a back three.’ When in reality, they’re really playing a back five. They just don’t want to say it, because it sounds defeatist,” Lalas said. “But this is a back five.” In theory, this structure would allow Antonee “Jedi” Robinson and Sergiño Dest to move forward as wing-backs while anchoring the central defense with the trio of Tim Ream, Chris Richards, and Alex Freeman.In front of them, Lalas deploys the proven, gritty pairing of midfielders Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie.By locking down the center of the pitch, that would free Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun to spearhead the attack alongside Tim Weah, whom Lalas insists must stay in his traditional, right-wing position rather than being asked to track back and defend. Stu Holden: The Gio Reyna ‘Wrinkle’ Holden agreed on the defensive personnel but threw a curveball into the midfield room.Rather than playing it safe with a standard double-pivot, Stu introduced a fascinating “wrinkle” by dropping Gio Reyna into a deeper, tempo-setting role.”Here’s my little wrinkle… I’ve got Gio Reyna, playing a little bit deeper,” Holden said. “He’s a guy that I want him passing the ball forward from that position. I don’t think Tyler Adams is. It’s probably more likely, if I’m being honest, that McKinnie would be further back and Reyna further forward.”Backed by the safety net of three center-backs, Holden suggests Adams could function as a lone pivot, pushing McKennie and Reyna higher when in possession.Holden says the fluid 3-3-3-1 setup gives the U.S. unique tactical flexibility to break down low blocks. Our FOX Sports soccer writers Doug McIntyre and Laken Litman also contributed their starting projections. Let’s look at their takes: Laken Litman: Adams, McKennie Man The Middle There were a few surprises in Mauricio Pochettino’s final 26-man World Cup roster, including midfielders Tanner Tessman and Diego Luna not making the squad. Both are dealing with injuries, and it’s unknown whether that played into their omissions. Tessman figured to be a potential starter, but with him not in the team, perhaps Pochettino uses just one holding midfielder in Adams with McKennie having freedom to roam, as he’s done quite successfully for club Juventus and for the U.S. team. He can come back and defend as well, but it appears Pochettino will opt to play three center backs with Robinson or Dest serving as wing backs who get forward. Balogun is the starting striker and this opening match vs. Paraguay is a huge opportunity to prove why he’s the No. 1 with Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright champing at the bit to get in there. Doug McIntyre: Dest Is More? Sergiño In Attack Pochettino’s roster selection is thin in the middle but deep on the flanks — an indication that the former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager will play with three central defenders and two wing backs, which squeezes out another player, probably in the heart of the field. This could put extra responsibility on defensive midfielder Tyler Adams, who won’t have another ball-winner next to him. Pochettino isn’t worried, though, noting that several players can be deployed centrally in addition to the deep-lying Adams, including reserves Sebastian Berhalter and Cristian Roldan. Weah pairs with Jedi as the fullbacks, which would allow Dest to play more in a winger position up top, the spot where Pochettino has used him previously. Dest has always had an inclination to push forward and could provide support in the attack that already features playmakers Pulisic and McKennie. 2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19). The opening match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi, as well as the USA’s opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).