Among the 26 players on the USMNT World Cup roster, coach Mauricio Pochettino selected five athletes from the New York and New Jersey area, including one born in New York City.
As the countdown begins for the U.S. national team’s first game against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, the players representing local tri-state towns such as Lake Grove and Bedford in New York and Park Ridge and Medford in New Jersey are ready to take center stage at the World Cup.
Garden State stars
Matt Turner
Defending the goal, Matt Turner grew up in Park Ridge, N.J., making his USMNT debut in 2021 and was the Americans’ starter at Qatar 2022.
Turner, 31, who plays for the New England Revolution in the MLS attended Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale.
Turner’s tri-state connection runs deep, having played collegiate soccer in the area. Turner walked on to the Fairfield University men’s soccer team, recording 39 appearances and 21 shutouts for the university.
Brenden Aaronson
Fellow New Jerseyan Brenden Aaronson, from Medford — a township in Burlington County — will also make his second World Cup appearance.
Aaronson, 25, plays for Leeds United in the Premiere League, where he scored four goals in 37 matches during the 2025-26 season. With the USMNT, he has made 57 appearances and scored nine goals.
A fan of the “Back to the Future” movies, Aaronson recently took a brief break to get married.
His busy schedule included traveling from the U.K. to the U.S. Soccer roster reveal in New York City before joining the national team in Fayetteville for training. He later traveled to South Jersey for his wedding and then rejoined the USMNT in Fayetteville.
New Yorkers in the World Cup
Joe Scally
Originally from Lake Grove, N.Y., defender Joe Scally joined New York City FC’s youth academy at age 14 and signed a professional contract with NYCFC while attending Sachem North High School.
Scally plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany, where he has surpassed 150 appearances — becoming the youngest non-German player to do so.
Scally, 23, made his USMNT debut in 2022 against Morocco and was included in the World Cup squad for Qatar.
Tyler Adams
From Wappingers Falls — a village with a population of more than 6,000 — Tyler Adams is set to play in his second World Cup.
A midfielder for AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, Adams attended Roy C. Ketcham High School and developed his game through the New York Red Bulls Academy, making his professional debut at age 16.
Adams, 27, was named U.S. Soccer’s 2022 Male Player of the Year after playing every minute in Qatar, where he became the youngest captain in USMNT World Cup history.
Telemundo play-by-play announcer Luis Omar Tapia explains how soccer has evolved in the United States during his decades covering the sport and why Tyler Adams represents the growth of the game.
Gio Reyna
Roughly an hour’s drive from Times Square, Bedford is the hometown where midfielder Gio Reyna grew up as a player.
Although Reyna, 23, was born in Sunderland, England, he spent his childhood in the town known for its horse farms, country estates and dirt roads.
A teammate of Joe Scally at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, Reyna is the son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, who earned 112 caps and captained the USMNT at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
Tim Weah
The only New York City-born player on the national team, Tim Weah was born in Brooklyn and raised in Rosedale, Queens. Growing up, the Olympique Marseille forward was surrounded by Caribbean communities, including Jamaican, Trinidadian and Puerto Rican neighborhoods.
Weah, who joined Rosedale Rockets Soccer Club at a young age, also had the option of representing France, Jamaica or Liberia because of his family background and residency, but he said he was driven by his New York City roots.
Telemundo play-by-play announcer Luis Omar Tapia explains the challenges of carrying the Weah name and how Timothy Weah has emerged as a standout player in his own right.
Weah’s father, George Weah, is a former president of Liberia and the 1995 Ballon d’Or winner. Although his father had a decorated career, he never had the chance to play in a World Cup, so the 2022 and 2026 editions hold special significance for the Weah family.
