Philadelphia Union homegrowns and Academy alumni Matt Freese, Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and Brenden Aaronson have been named to the final roster for the United States Men’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Announced by Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino during a live event in New York City on Tuesday afternoon, the group will be part of the 26-player roster that will represent the Stars and Stripes on home soil starting next month.
This year’s World Cup is the largest yet with 48 teams set to compete – a massive increase from the 32 that played in Qatar back in 2022. More teams, means more action – 104 total matches are set to be played.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese is one of Pochettino’s three keepers on the roster. Originally from Wayne, PA., Freese played for the Union Academy and was signed as a homegrown in 2019 where he made 13 appearances for the club before moving to New York City FC before the start of the 2023 season.
Raised in Bear, DE., for the better part of his youth, center back Mark McKenzie became a Homegrown in 2018. During his time with the Boys in Blue he went on to help the club bring home its first-ever Supporters’ Shield in 2020. He’s currently thriving in French Ligue 1, playing for Toulouse.
Another defender, Auston Trusty, from Media, PA., joined the Philadelphia Union as a member of the first group of Union Juniors in 2011. He then joined the Academy at its inception in 2013 and rose through the Pathway To The Pros where be became the fifth homegrown signing in club history in 2016. During his time with the Boys in Blue, Trusty had 56 starts and now currently plays for Celtic, where he just won the Scottish Premiership.
Rounding out the Union connections to the 2026 USMNT World Cup Roster is Brenden Aaronson. Known as Medford’s Messi for his roots in South Jersey, he was a keystone of the first team from 2018 through 2020, before starting his European journey. His career overseas been one to watch – he helped Leeds make their epic return to the Premier League, and this year, in his first season at the top, he tallied four goals and five assists.
With strong local roots and an unbreakable tie to the Union – these are the Philadelphia Union Academy products to root for as the USA kicks off their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12th.
