Christian Pulisic, forward for Milan, is included in the list of call-ups by coach Mauricio Pochettino for the United States' friendly matches against Belgium and Portugal, which will serve as preparation for the 2026 World Cup. The 27-player roster was announced on Tuesday by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The winger, teammate of Rafael Leão at Milan, is the most experienced player in the squad, with 82 caps and 32 goals for his national team. The call-up also features two debutants, goalkeepers Chris Brady from Chicago Fire and Roman Celentano from Cincinnati. Another highlight is the return of Antonee Robinson, left-back for Fulham, coached by Portuguese manager Marco Silva. The player is called up again after more than a year, following a long recovery from several injuries. In total, 18 of the 27 players called up play for European clubs. Among them is midfielder Weston Mc Kennie from Juventus, who is a teammate of Portuguese Francisco Conceição. It is worth noting that Mc Kennie scored a goal in his debut for the US national team against Portugal, in the last encounter between the two teams, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Leiria in November 2017. The United States will face Belgium on March 28 and, three days later, the Portuguese national team. Both matches will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, one of the venues that will host the final stage of the 2026 World Cup. The match against the Americans will be the 700th in the history of the Portuguese national team. These two friendlies represent the final stage before the announcement of the final squad for the 23rd World Cup. The tournament, which will feature 48 teams for the first time, will take place from June 11 to July 19, in a joint organization between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Portugal, already qualified for the final stage, is in Group K, along with Colombia, Uzbekistan, and a team from the intercontinental playoff (DR Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia). Meanwhile, the United States is in Group D, with Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of Path C of the European playoff (Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo). Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Roman Celentano (Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City), and Matt Turner (New England Revolution) Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark Mc Kenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), and Auston Trusty (Celtic) Midfielders: Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid), Weston Mc Kennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Monchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), and Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen) Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds), Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV), Christian Pulisic (Milan), and Timothy Weah (Marseille)
Portugal Christian Pulisic Milan remains central to this story.
Portugal Christian Pulisic Milan remains central to this story.
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