ATLANTA (April 3, 2026) – U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team head coach Marcelo Mendes has selected a 12-player roster for the 2026 BSWW Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup to be held April 9-11 in Acapulco, Mexico.
The Beach MNT will face Portugal on April 9 (8:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. local), take on rivals Mexico on April 10 (11:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. local) and close out against Paraguay on April 11 (8:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. local). All three matches will be broadcast for free via BeachSoccerTV.com.
“The Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup will be the chance for the same group of players to show improvements after our matches last month in Brazil,” said Mendes. “This is a good opportunity for the players to show their progress and understand our expectations in terms of strategies and tactics. We are looking to raise our performance in this tournament.”
Eleven of the 12 players return from the squad that took part in the Paraiba World Beach Games last month in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, including Alessandro Canale (Venice Beach, Calif.), Tanner Akol (Santa Cruz, Calif.) and Antonio Chavez (Oceanside, Calif.). A veteran of 104 international appearances, Canale is poised to leap over Chris Toth as the side’s all-time caps leader with two appearances this month in Mexico. Meanwhile, Akol led the team with two goals at last month’s tournament and Chavez will come to camp on the back of a 46-match appearance streak, a run which dates back to July 2022.
Chavez is joined by Alvaro Franco, Andres Navas and Cody Valcarcel as the four players that will go to a third consecutive Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup, the quartet having attended the previous two editions in 2023 and 2024.
At the first edition, Chavez tallied his first career brace, while the USA also received single strikes from Canale, Franco and Valcarcel in the 7-3 win against Saudi Arabia on April 15, 2023. At the most recent tournament, the USA got a hat trick from Tanner Akol and another goal from Chavez in a thrilling 6-4 victory against Mexico on Dec. 15, 2024.
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.; 38/22)
Alessandro Canale*^ (Unattached; Venice Beach, Calif.; 104/74)
Antonio Chavez*^ (SoCal BSC; Oceanside, Calif.; 52/13)
Matthew Citron^ (SoCal BSC; San Diego, Calif.; 3/0)
Austin Collier*^ (BSVB; Chesapeake, Va.; 23/1) – GK
Andres Diaz^ (Cruzn BSC; Santa Cruz, Calif.; 5/0) – GK
Fredo Dilbert*^ (SoCal Legacy; Davie, Fla.; 26/4)
Alvaro Franco^ (Unattached; Miami, Fla.; 20/7)
Sasha Karlov (BSVB; Suffolk, Va.; 3/0)
Andres Navas*^ (CF Playa Miami; Miami, Fla.; 33/12)
Brian Shushkovsky^ (Hollywood BSC; Morganville, N.J.; 6/1) - GK
Cody Valcarcel*^ (Cruzn BSC; Santa Cruz, Calif.; 38/10)
* Previous FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup experience
^ Part of 2026 Paraíba International Games
