men’s national team kicks off World Cup play against Paraguay on June 12.
For the first men’s World Cup on home soil in over 30 years as well as the summer of America’s 250th birthday, the U.S. men’s national team will look every bit the part of a true American as it chases history.
The squad will don an ultra-patriotic, red-and-white striped home jersey, contrasted by a sleek, dark blue away jersey that includes subtle, monochromatic stars.
How Pulisic Inherited the USMNT No. 10 Jersey
The USMNT has lofty ambitions of a deep run this summer, potentially even to the semifinal round, hoping the spirits of the home crowd will carry them through. Fortunately, the Stars and Stripes have a winnable group stage, facing Group D foes Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye beginning in less than two weeks.
Mauricio Pochettino’s squad now officially knows what numbers they will wear this summer on the back of their patriotic fits, led by none other than the superstar owner of the team’s No.
There are not too many surprises when it comes to the USMNT’s World Cup jersey numbers. Soccer poster player and superstar forward Christian Pulisic retains his No.
10 jersey, a number he inherited in the fall of 2016 at just 17 years old and one previously donned by USMNT legend and co-leading goalscorer Landon Donovan. Then-manager Jürgen Klinsmann gifted Pulisic the number, recognizing the potential the youngster possessed and his great likelihood of becoming the future of the team.
Since then, Pulisic has been named U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year four times and is largely anticipated to be behind any success the U.S.
achieve this summer on soccer’s grandest stage.
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McKennie, Turner, and Freese: Confirmed Shirt Numbers
Star midfielder Weston McKennie retains No. 8, a jersey he has had since he was 19 years old in the 2018–19 season, inheriting the number long-term from USMNT legend and co-leading goalscorer Clint Dempsey.
Despite highly anticipated to be the second-string goalkeeper behind No. 24 Matt Freese at the tournament, Matt Turner will retain the iconic No.
1 jersey, having worn it since the 2020–21 season, including at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as the key starter between the sticks.
The USMNT has a hefty challenge immediately in front of them: an international friendly against European powerhouses, No. 10 globally-ranked Germany, on Saturday in Chicago.
Fortunately, the U.S. enter Saturday off a dominant 3–2 victory over No.
14 ranked Senegal, giving the team just enough hope for a positive result.
The match marks the last outing for the No. 16 ranked Stars and Stripes ahead of World Cup kick off, making it imperative that the team puts together a strong performance in order to build confidence ahead of the tournament and prove themselves as worthy contenders.
USMNT Group D Opener vs Paraguay on June 12
has never advanced farther than the quarterfinal stage in the modern era of the World Cup, a miraculous run that happened just once over 20 years ago, meaning the squad is gunning for the record books.
Sophia Vesely is a writer, reporter and editor for SI FC, with an emphasis on North American coverage. Her experience comes from regional journalism as a former sports reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, Dallas Morning News and Seattle Times.
Vesely graduated from Swarthmore College, where she played collegiate soccer as a wingback. She specializes in MLS, NWSL and NCAA soccer.
Pochettino's Starting XI and Formation Predictions
The useful takeaway is how this update changes supporter decisions before the tournament starts. A World Cup article should make the next match, team, or lineup implication clear rather than drifting into generic tournament background.
For readers following FIFA World Cup 2026 closely, the best next step is to connect this story to the relevant team pages and match lineups. That keeps the article grounded in the questions fans search for before kickoff.