#player-call-ups

#player-call-ups

The United States' 26-man squad for this summer's World Cup has been made official, with the team's head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, making the announcement in a live television event from Pier 17 in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon. The roster matches the one exclusively revealed by the Guardian on Saturday. The most notable omission is Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, who has earned the second-most minutes of any attacking player over the course of Pochettino's tenure. Also coming as surprises were the exclusions of central midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris, and the inclusion of Club America winger Alejandro Zendejas, who has played just 139 minutes over Pochettino's 19 months in charge.

Dundee United defender Will Ferry has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for Saturday's friendly against Grenada (17:00 BST). The 25-year-old has joined the side in Murcia and is aiming to make his senior debut after representing Republic of Ireland at under-19 and under-21 level. Heimir Hallgrimsson's side face Grenada at the Estadio Nueva Condomina before welcoming Qatar to the Aviva Stadium on 28 May in another friendly.

Youssouf Fofana expressed frustration over his absence from the French national team, noting the fierce competition in midfield. Despite his strong performances with Milan, including an assist and a goal in recent matches, he remains overlooked by coach Deschamps.

Lionel Messi's Argentina squad is set to play friendlies against Mauritania on March 27 and Zambia on March 31, both matches kicking off at 23:15 GMT/BST.

But even before we get to next summer, there's another major international tournament on the way - and unlike in the previous breaks, this one could significantly disrupt either your fantasy team, or your actual bricks and mortars side. That's because AFCON 2025 kicks off in Morocco on December 21 and runs up until January 18, 2026, with the 24 participants able to draw from no less than 42 Premier League players so who's going?

July 2025 was a tumultuous month for the Washington Nationals, marked by the firing of their manager and GM, drafting new players, and managing a chaotic MLB Trade Deadline.