ATLANTA (March 11, 2026) – U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team head coach Marcelo Mendes has selected a 12-player roster for the 2026 Paraiba World Beach Games, to be held March 19-21 in João Pessoa, Brazil.
The Beach MNT will train on location beginning March 15, in preparation for matches against two-time defending World Cup champion Brazil on March 19 (5 p.m. ET), Japan on March 20 (3 p.m. ET) andan opponent still to be determined on March 21 (3 p.m. ET). The matches will mark the first games under Mendes, who became the first full-time head coach in Beach MNT history when he was hired in December 2025. Broadcast details for the tournament will be communicated at a later date.
"The tournament in Brazil will be a great experience for our players and my first opportunity to observe them in action in official matches with the national team,” Mendes said. ”With Brazil and Japan we will face strong, world-class opponents and I am very confident that we can play well and deliver strong performances.
“Our players are highly motivated and determined to represent the country at a high level of performance. We will travel with a young squad, along with some experienced players who have participated in qualifiers and the World Cup. It is an interesting mix, and I believe it will give us the results we are expecting. I am very motivated for this first challenge and hope to bring back positive outcomes from this tournament, especially in terms of evaluating the athletes as we continue the preparation cycle for the next World Cup qualifiers.”
Eleven of the 12 players return from the January camp held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., including the team’s second all-time leading scorer Alessandro Canale (Venice Beach, Calif.), 2024 Male Beach Soccer Player of the Year Antonio Chavez (Oceanside, Calif.) and veteran attacker Tanner Akol (Santa Cruz, Calif.).
This camp reflects the Federation’s commitment to the U.S. Way, by investing in resources, infrastructure, and comprehensive support for its Extended National Teams – including the Beach Soccer National Teams - to ensure they are fully prepared to compete and succeed on the world stage.
U.S. MEN’S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER (Club; Hometown - Caps/Goals):
Tanner Akol*^ (Cruzn BSC; Santa Cruz, Calif.; 35/20)
Alessandro Canale*^ (Tacoma Stars/MASL; Venice Beach, Calif.; 101/73)
Antonio Chavez*^ (SoCal BSC; Oceanside, Calif.; 49/13)
Matthew Citron (SoCal BSC; San Diego, Calif.; 0/0)
Austin Collier*^ (BSVB; Chesapeake, Va.; 20/1) – GK
Andres Diaz (Cruzn BSC; Santa Cruz, Calif.; 2/0) – GK
Fredo Dilbert* (SoCal Legacy; Davie, Fla.; 23/3)
Alvaro Franco (Unattached; Miami, Fla.; 17/6)
Andres Navas*^ (CF Playa Miami; Miami, Fla.; 30/11)
Brian Shushkovsky (Hollywood BSC; Morganville, N.J.; 4/0) - GK
Dillon Thompson (Cruzn BSC; Chesapeake, Va.; 3/1)
Cody Valcarcel*^ (Cruzn BSC; Santa Cruz, Calif.; 35/10)
* Previous FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup experience
^ Part of 2025 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship Roster
