The Way Mauricio Pochettino Delivered USMNT World Cup Cuts Was Ruthless

Tomorrow in New York City, the United States will announce the 26-man roster that will compete at home in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

For a majority of the 50-plus players on the final preliminary list for a spot at the World Cup, representing the stars and stripes in America has been their dream since they were little kids.

And although the official announcement won’t be until tomorrow, The Guardian leaked the roster over the weekend.

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How was that possible?

Well, just because the roster will be released on Tuesday doesn’t mean that is when the players found out if they would be playing for the national team at the start of June.

Per The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, the players who didn’t make the roster were informed over the weekend, which is why the roster leaked in full.

How did new manager Mauricio Pochettino tell the players who failed to make the cut that their dreams were dashed?

Most recently, manager Gregg Berhalter famously video-called the players who didn’t make the roster for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Pochettino, however, took a less personal approach, as everyone found out their status regarding the World Cup via email.

Players like Diego Luna and Aidan Morris, who were seen as strong favorites to make the roster only a few months ago, like waiting on a job application, got the bad news through a string of words in their email inbox.

For the Argentine manager, it’s another drastic decision he’s made that might not be seen in the best light by supporters. But as it was with Berhalter, who was beloved by the players and the national federation, everything will come down to the results.

If Pochettino leads the Americans to the top spot in the opening group and then sees them through two knockout rounds into the quarterfinals, he’ll be considered a genius.

If the U.S. Men’s National Team doesn’t make it far, though, or even worse, fails to get out of the group stage, Pochettino won’t even need to check his email.

He’ll be gone by the time he leaves the stadium.

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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 4:47 PM.