Overview

• Christian Pulisic opted out of the Gold Cup after playing more than 4,400 minutes for AC Milan and the national team over the past 12 months.
• Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Tim Weah, Yunus Musah, Antonee Robinson and Josh Sargent were also omitted from the 27-man roster to preserve fitness.
• Pochettino stressed that every spot on the 2026 World Cup roster is up for grabs and that performance at Gold Cup camp will influence final selections.
• The decision has reignited debate over the Gold Cup’s value as a competitive tune-up compared with the priority of hosting the world tournament.
• The coach intends to tap MLS-based players to build depth and manage player workloads in preparation for next summer’s home World Cup.