A fourth Leeds United player has had their 2026 World Cup spot confirmed.
Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson will achieve his dream of a home World Cup this summer after being called up to the US Men’s National Team squad.
National team boss Mauricio Pochettino confirmed his 26-man group on Tuesday evening, with Aaronson making the cut. The 25-year-old has been rewarded for a much-improved club-level campaign during which he played a significant role in Leeds avoiding relegation.
The USA are one of three co-hosts for this summer’s World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. Aaronson’s side are in Group D and kick off their tournament against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 13.
They then face Australia in Seattle six days later before a June 26 meeting with Turkey back in Los Angeles. Pochettino’s side will hope to at least match their previous achievement of reaching the last-16 back in Qatar in 2022.
Speaking after Leeds’ final-day defeat at West Ham, Aaronson said of his World Cup hopes: "Super excited for me, if I can go, it's a dream for me and my family, for them to be at the games, and to just represent my country in the World Cup on home soil, something that I'll never forget.”
Aaronson will reunite with a couple of former Leeds teammates upon joining the USA camp this summer. The attacking midfielder joins midfield pair Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie in Pochettino’s 26-man squad.
Adams spent one season at Leeds but it ended in relegation, with the midfielder missing the final two months of the campaign due to an unfortunate hamstring injury. He left for Bournemouth the following summer in a deal worth £20million, and has kicked on under impressive coach Andoni Iraola.
McKennie’s Leeds spell was even shorter, with the American joining on loan from Juventus during the January 2023 transfer window. But having approved of the deal, head coach Jesse Marsch was sacked days later and 19 appearances brought zero goals and one assist before a swift return to Italy following relegation.
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Aaronson and Adams will also be one of five Premier League players in the USA squad, joining Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson of Fulham and newly-promoted Coventry City striker Haji Wright. Celtic title-winner Auston Trusty is also involved.
USMNT squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0 caps, 0 goals), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 14/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 53/0).
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic).
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (Milan), Tim Weah (Marseille), Haji Wright (Coventry City). Alejandro Zendejas (Club América).
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