The USA are next in our FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026 team previews.
As co-hosts, the United States will be desperate to put on a show on home turf, having been drawn in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are favourites to advance from this group, so they could provide value in Fantasy.
In these country-by-country guides, we’ll be looking at the best players from each nation, reviewing the road to the World Cup and more.
SQUAD
THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION
The USA qualified automatically for the 2026 World Cup as co-hosts…
SINCE QUALIFICATION
… but they have subsequently played numerous friendly matches.
The USA have pulled off some decent results in these games, including wins over Japan, Uruguay, and most recently, Senegal.
They’ve beaten Paraguay and Australia, too, who they will face in Group D at the World Cup.
Earlier this year, Pochettino’s men laboured to deserved defeats to Belgium and Portugal, conceding seven times in the process, but did look much better in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Senegal (more on that later).
| Date | Opposition | Result (USA first) | Goalscorers | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2025 | South Korea (h) | 0-2 | ||
| 9 September 2025 | Japan (h) | 2-0 | Zendejas, Balogun | |
| 10 October 2025 | Ecuador (h) | 1-1 | Balogun | |
| 14 October 2025 | Australia (h) | 2-1 | Wright x2 | |
| 15 November 2025 | Paraguay (h) | 2-1 | Reyna, Balogun | |
| 18 November 2025 | Uruguay (h) | 5-1 | Berhalter, Freeman x2, Luna, Tessmann | |
| 28 March 2026 | Belgium (h) | 2-5 | McKennie, Agyemang | |
| 1 April 2026 | Portugal (h) | 0-2 | ||
| 31 May 2026 | Senegal (h) | 3-2 | Dest, Pulisic, Balogun |
In the last competitive matches, the USA lost to Mexico in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, triumphing over Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, Saudi Arabia and Trinidad and Tobago to get there.
PRE-WORLD CUP WIN
Christian Pulisic ($7.0m) was the standout performer on Sunday, with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over Senegal.
The USA looked lively throughout, a far cry from the lacklustre performances they put in against Belgium and Portugal in March.
In a fully deserved victory, Pochettino’s men racked up 17 shots, including five Opta ‘big chances’, in contrast to Senegal’s seven.
Deployed on the left of a 3-4-3 formation (they only switched to a 4-4-2 for the final few minutes), Pulisic set up Sergino Dest’s ($4.3m) opener, then made it 2-0 shortly after with a tidy finish, with two shots and two key passes in only 45 minutes of football.
Image from BBC Sport
A quick mention for Folarin Balogun ($6.0m), too, who was superb after his half-time introduction for Ricardo Pepi ($5.9m) and netted the winner, with four shots in total.
Elsewhere, in the absence of the injured Chris Richards ($4.1m), Pochettino started Alex Freeman ($4.0m), Mark McKenzie ($3.9m) and Tim Ream ($3.9m) at the back, with Dest and Antonee Robinson ($5.0m) as advanced wing-backs.
Borussia Monchengladbach’s Gio Reyna ($5.5m) played off the right.
WORLD CUP FIXTURES
United States assets are well-suited to a Matchday 3 Wildcard approach, with Paraguay and Australia, ranked 40th and 27th respectively, up first.
Subsequently, the top two-ranked teams in Group D, USA (16th) and Turkey (22nd), then face off in the final round.
Pochettino’s men are favourites to advance from this group, so they could provide value.
TOP FANTASY PICKS
In Pulisic, Pochettino has a player with real quality.
The talisman for this side, he’s had a tricky season at AC Milan (10 goals and four assists in 34 appearances in all competitions), but he’s a shoo-in to start every match this summer and looked fired up against Senegal on Sunday.
On penalties (and probably some free-kicks), Pulisic could be a decent differential option, particularly against Paraguay and Australia in Matchdays 1 and 2.
Elsewhere, Tyler Adams ($5.3m) is the engine in central midfield, and given his role, you’d think he’ll be in the mix for the tackle bonus.
Weston McKennie ($6.1m) has frequently played a more advanced role for Juventus in 2025/26, but stationed next to Adams in a double pivot, he probably won’t get forward enough to be a viable Fantasy option this summer.
Up top, Balogun and Pepi will fight it out for the number nine role, making Pulisic the clear top choice for those seeking to invest in this attack.
At the back, the formation could be a 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1, but Pochettino’s principles remain the same, with his full-backs/wing-backs pushing high and supplying the width.
Indeed, Dest and Robinson were key features of Pochettino’s approach against Senegal and are probably the best routes into this defence, given their offensive capabilities.
That said, the USA do tend to be a bit chaotic at the back, so there are a few doubts about their ability to keep clean sheets.
Richards missed the Senegal friendly, so his fitness will need to be monitored.
It’s probably best to avoid the goalkeepers for now, as it remains uncertain who will actually start between Matt Freese ($4.2m) and Matt Turner ($4.0m).
