2026 World Cup: When will USA's squad for this summer's tournament be announced?

Joint-hosts USA will be bidding to make a huge impression at the 2026 World Cup.

The Stars and Stripes qualified for this summer's tournament due to their position as co-hosts, and they have a rich history when it comes to the biggest competition in world football.

USA famously finished third in their first-ever World Cup appearance back in 1930, while they made the quarter-finals in 2002, in addition to the round of 16 in 2010, 2014 and 2022.

The national side are not considered to be a challenger for the biggest prize this summer, but it would be a surprise if they were knocked out in the group stage.

USA will compete in Group D at the 2026 World Cup alongside Turkey, Paraguay and Australia.

2026 World Cup: USA will face Turkey, Paraguay, Australia in Group D

Mauricio Pochettino's side will take on Paraguay in their section opener on June 13, before tackling Australia and Turkey on June 19 and June 26 respectively.

Before that, USA will face Senegal (May 31) and Germany (June 6) in two pre-tournament friendlies.

It was not a happy camp for the Stars and Stripes last time out, losing 5-2 to Belgium and 2-0 to Portugal, and Pochettino has a number of big decisions to make when it comes to his final squad.

Under FIFA's rules, a preliminary squad of between 35 and 55 players, including five goalkeepers, must be declared by May 11, with clubs then required to release the selected players by May 25.

By the end of May, the 26-man final squad must be confirmed, with three goalkeepers required, so Pochettino does not have long to make final decisions.

There are rules which allow replacements to be made if any serious injuries or long-term illnesses occur, up to 24 hours before the team's first match.

Who will be key players for USA at the 2026 World Cup?

Fulham's Antonee Robinson, Crystal Palace's Chris Richards, Bournemouth's Tyler Adams, Juventus' Weston McKennie, Atletico Madrid's Johnny Cardoso and Bayer Leverkusen's Milik Tillman could all be big players for USA at this summer's tournament.

Then there is a certain Christian Pulisic, with the 27-year-old looking to lead the charge.

Pulisic has scored 32 goals and registered 21 assists in 84 appearances for USA, including one goal and two assists in four outings at the finals of a World Cup.

The attacker has scored 10 goals and registered three assists in 30 appearances for AC Milan this season, and he is fourth on the all-time goalscoring list for USA behind Clint Dempsey (57), Landon Donovan (57) and Jozy Altidore (42).