ATLANTA – Following the roster unveiling two days ago in New York City, midfielder Tyler Adams said that being selected for this summer's roster probably wouldn’t feel real to him until he was “out on the grass with the boys” and the team started to train properly.
If his statement was accurate, then it must be starting to feel real for Adams and the rest of his squadmates.
The U.S. Men’s National Team has completed two days of training at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayette County, Ga. Thursday's session took place on the super-pitch at the foot of U.S. Soccer’s grand new facility. Players completed rondos, ran sprints and entered competitive drills in the opening minutes of training on fresh grass.
“It’s great, everyone’s happy to be here,” midfielder Malik Tillman said. “We’re all ready for it, and we want to compete as much as possible.”
Focus is top of mind for the 25 players on-site in Fayetteville. (Defender Chris Richards is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.) And with just 15 days until the U.S. kicks off against Paraguay on June 12 to open the team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, there is no time to waste.
“I’m in game mode and work mode,” forward Tim Weah said when asked a question about the tournament’s ticket prices. “I’ll let the coach and whoever needs to speak about it speak about it. Right now, as players, we need to lock in. I’ve used my voice out of camp. Now that I’m in camp, I want to focus on the football aspect and focus on what I have to do to help my team.”
For many of the players, chemistry will come with the familiarity of playing in a tournament of this scale and magnitude. Thirteen players on this cycle's 26-man roster return from the U.S. squad that competed in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
For others, the ties go back even further to their days with youth National Teams. Christian Pulisic, Alex Zendejas, Auston Trusty, Haji Wright and Adams were teammates on the U-17 Men’s National Team in 2015. Four players – Sergiño Dest, Mark McKenzie, Chris Richards and Weah – represented the U.S. at the U-20 World Cup in 2019.
Some even played club soccer together, like Weah and Weston McKennie for Juventus. The two nationals overlapped and both played with the Serie A club in 2023 and 2024.
“He’s a vibes guy,” McKennie said of Weah. “He’s someone that has experience. He’s been with the team for a long time. He’s one of the veterans on the team, and he’s a feel-good guy to be around… seeing his work effort on the field, seeing him enjoy himself and be competitive, it’s always good to have a guy like that.”
Striker Folarin Balogun said he sat next to McKennie on the way to Atlanta. The two players, whose personalities are very different, played Monopoly on the plane. The striker was bemused as he recalled trying to take a nap while McKennie flicked at Balogun’s ear.
“The relationships are good,” Balogun said. “It’s good that everyone has remained the same. In this sport, you can sometimes let things get to you and it can change you, but I think everyone’s remained the same, which is good.”
Team chemistry will be important as the team embarks on an eventful next several weeks that includes two non-official matches in Charlotte on May 31 and Chicago on June 6 before traveling west for the group stage of FIFA World Cup 2026. With camp in full swing, the chemistry off-the pitch between players will matter alongside the way they play together on the field.
“Every good team I’ve been on, it’s been equally important,” said fullback Max Arfsten, an MLS Cup winner with Columbus Crew. “When you have an off-the-field, emotional connection with people, in a weird way, you understand them more on the field. The person and the player mesh together, so I think it’s very important. I truly believe since Mauricio [Pochettino] has been coach, we’ve gotten continually closer and closer as a group.”
If the early days are any indication of how the 26 players are coming together as a single unit, the vibes, to use McKennie’s terminology, are good – and focused.
“The group is loving it,” Weah said. “Being at our home base now brings that sense that it’s game time now. We’re all locked in and ready. It’s just about how we do on June 12.”
