USA are one of three co-hosts at World Cup 2026, with the majority of the matches at the 48-team event set to take place in the country. With home advantage on their side, the USA are aiming to do much more than just make up the numbers this summer.It is fair to say Mauricio Pochettino had some teething problems in the early part of his tenure, but in the last few months he has made progress with the national team. There are still one or two question marks over certain positions, but Pochettino has settled on a 4-2-3-1 formation.A possible front four of Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun offers real quality, but Pochettino appreciates the importance of balance and coherence. It will be fascinating to see how the USA perform at the first World Cup on their own soil since the 1994 edition.Mauricio Pochettino has found feetAfter an early exit from Copa America 2024, the USA parted ways with Gregg Berhalter. The federation managed to persuade Mauricio Pochettino to become his permanent successor, with the Argentinian tasked with leading the Stars and Stripes at a home World Cup.Pochettino is a top-class coach, but results have been mixed for much of his tenure. Things appear to be moving in the right direction, though, with Pochettino much closer to knowing his ideal team for the tournament. Prediction for Head CoachThe USA are not expected to win the World Cup, but playing at home brings a pressure of its own. Pochettino has the right temperament to handle that, and his favoured intense, aggressive style of play is a good fit for this group of American players.The star player: Christian PulisicNow 27 years of age, this World Cup is the biggest moment in Christian Pulisic’s international career. The great hope of American soccer for years, Pulisic has sometimes had to deal with unrealistic expectations from fans of the national team, but he has a respectable scoring record for his country.Pulisic has played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, none more so than his current employers AC Milan. Having hit double figures for goals in each of his last three campaigns, the forward will be the man the USA look to for inspiration in the final third.Prediction for Star PlayerPulisic has scored 32 goals in 84 games for the USA, who will look to get the ball to him in dangerous areas. The emergence of Folarin Balogun has taken some of the heat off Pulisic, who will aim to link up with the Monaco man as often as possible.USA starting 11 vs. Paraguay predictionsPositionExpert selectionSelection statusThe punter strategyGoalkeeperMatt FreeseUP FOR GRABSSolid rather than spectacular. Untested outside USA.Right-BackSergino DestLOCKED INContinually overlaps down right. Not most natural defender.Centre-BackChris RichardsLOCKED INDominant aerially and strong in tackle. Nailed-on starter.Centre-BackTim ReamUP FOR GRABSAdds experience and knowhow. Doubts over age.Left-BackAntonee RobinsonLOCKED INSurges forward from left-back. Fast runner and ball-carrier.Central Defensive MidfielderTanner TessmanUP FOR GRABSPhysical enforcer. Limited in possession.Central Defensive MidfielderTyler AdamsLOCKED INSteel and bite in midfield. Principal ball-winner.Right-WingerTim WeahUP FOR GRABSSpeedy dribbler out wide. Key in transition.Central Attacking MidfielderWeston McKennieLOCKED INMakes late runs into the box. Can also play deeper.Left-WingerChristian PulisicLOCKED INProvides spark in final third. Under pressure to deliver.StrikerFolarin BalogunLOCKED INProlific season for Monaco. Accomplished finisher.How to bet on the USA World Cup squadThere are specific betting markets relevant to the USA starting XI for World Cup 2026. One of the most popular is the anytime goalscorer market.Christian Pulisic will get plenty of attention here as the USA’s most high-profile player, but Folarin Balogun has had a productive season at club level, while Weston McKennie is an outside bet.Another individual player market worth watching is cards. Tyler Adams is a combative midfielder who will have a key role to play in protecting the USA defence. At the back, Chris Richards is not one to shirk a challenge either in the air or on the ground.FAQ about the 2026 USA World Cup squad1. How many times have USA won the World Cup?The USA have never won the World Cup before. Their best performance to date came in the inaugural edition of 1930, when the Stars and Stripes finished third. Their standout moment in modern times was a run to the quarter-finals in 2002. This summer will be the USA’s 12th appearance at the tournament.2. Which players are injured and missing from the starting 11?We are still waiting for confirmation from the USA, but it looks like Johnny Cardoso will miss the World Cup with an ankle injury. That is a blow to Mauricio Pochettino, who probably would have paired Cardoso with Tyler Adams in midfield.Patrick Agyemang is a confirmed absentee, but Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are expected to be fit in time for the game against Paraguay.3. Are there any changes to USA’s usual starting 11?The USA starting XI has gone through substantial changes since World Cup 2022. Matt Turner, Walker Zimmerman, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna and Jesus Ferreira have all lost favour since Qatar, with Matt Freese, Tanner Tessman and Folarin Balogun among the relative newcomers to the team.Stay up to date with all the latest World Cup Winner Odds, World Cup Top Goalscorer Odds, World Cup Group Winner Odds and all the best World Cup Betting Offers and Free Bets in our dedicated betting hubAbout the authorGreg LeaGreg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootballCommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. 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