On Tuesday afternoon, the United States men’s national soccer team announced the 26 athletes who will represent the nation, during a lively broadcast event.
The reveal was marked by an enthusiastic audience, live music, and the players proudly showcasing their jerseys for the forthcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While the lineup featured familiar stars such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams, there were unexpected selections and a notable exclusion that caught attention.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino opted for a bold approach with his roster choices, prompting bookmakers to slightly decrease the odds of the U.S. clinching the World Cup title.
This kind of shift in betting odds is a rarity.
Most roster reveals create a temporary emotional surge. England’s odds to win the World Cup actually went up after their roster reveal video that collaborated with The Beatles.
But for the U.S., BetOnline actually moved the team’s odds from 80/1 to 100/1 to win the World Cup after the official roster was unveiled on Tuesday. Uruguay, Mexico, and Switzerland all jumped the U.S. in their odds to win the tournament.
That is not a market correction. That is a warning shot.
“USA’s true odds should probably be closer to 200/1,” BetOnline Brand Manager Dave Mason said bluntly Tuesday.
Now that the bluster, emotion, and patriotism of the television production has faded, the flaws on this roster are impossible to ignore.
The most glaring issue sits directly in the center of the midfield, the area where World Cups are usually won or lost. Pochettino decided to leave Tanner Tessmann off the roster due to potential fitness concerns. His decision to not replace him with another true midfielder was perhaps more shocking in the soccer world.
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Instead of adding someone like Aidan Morris, a ball-winning destroyer capable of surviving the brutal grind of a non-stop, six-week tournament, he added defender Joe Scally to an already crowded back line.
The move felt redundant. In fact, Scally might not even see the pitch.
Now, the Americans enter the biggest tournament in modern U.S. soccer history dangerously thin in the midfield behind Adams and McKennie. One injury. One red card. One bad tackle in the group stage and the team suddenly becomes more fragile than a three-week old bar of soap.
That uncertainty only magnifies the pressure on Pulisic, who hasn’t scored a goal in his last 24 matches. The World Cup has a way of exposing the truth about teams. They uncover weak depth, shaky roster balance, and overly cautious coaching decisions.
That’s all the betting markets needed to see on Tuesday.
And when sportsbooks start losing fath in the host nation before a ball has even been kicked, then that should make every American soccer fan uncomfortable.
Below are the new odds to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
2026 World Cup odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| France | 5/1 |
| Spain | 5/1 |
| England | 7/1 |
| Brazil | 9/1 |
| Argentina | 10/1 |
| Portugal | 10/1 |
| Germany | 16/1 |
| Netherlands | 25/1 |
| Norway | 33/1 |
| Belgium | 40/1 |
| Colombia | 45/1 |
| Morocco | 60/1 |
| Japan | 60/1 |
| Uruguay | 80/1 |
| Mexico | 80/1 |
| Switzerland | 90/1 |
| USA | 100/1 |
| Croatia | 100/1 |
| Ecuador | 100/1 |
| Turkey | 100/1 |
| Senegal | 100/1 |
| Sweden | 125/1 |
| Austria | 150/1 |
| Canada | 200/1 |
| Scotland | 250/1 |
| Paraguay | 250/1 |
| Bosnia | 250/1 |
| Czechia | 250/1 |
| Ivory Coast | 250/1 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 300/1 |
| Egypt | 300/1 |
| South Korea | 350/1 |
| Algeria | 400/1 |
| Ghana | 400/1 |
| Australia | 500/1 |
| Iran | 500/1 |
| DR Congo | 500/1 |
| Tunisia | 500/1 |
| Saudi Arabia | 750/1 |
| Qatar | 7501 |
| Iraq | 1000/1 |
| South Africa | 1000/1 |
| Panama | 1500/1 |
| New Zealand | 1500/1 |
| Cape Verde | 2000/1 |
| Uzbekistan | 2000/1 |
| Jordan | 2500/1 |
| Curacao | 5000/1 |
| Haiti | 5000/1 |