World Cup 2026: Meet USMNT attacking midfielder Malik Tillman
Malik Tillman, player of United States, poses with his jersey during the United States World Cup roster reveal on May 26, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
The U.S. Men's National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set with defender Tim Ream making the team.
Each national team has to have at least 23 players and is allowed a maximum of 26 players and at least three goalkeepers are required to be on the roster. Team USA has 26 players.
Meet USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman
FILE - Malik Tillman of Bayer 04 Leverkusen kicks the ball during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Köln and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at RheinEnergieStadion on April 25, 2026 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)
Malik Tillman was born on May 28, 2002, in Nuremberg, Germany. He holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Germany.
Tillman began his youth soccer career at Greuther Furth before he joined Bayern Munich academy along with his brother, Timothy.
He has 28 caps for the USMNT and is currently signed with the Leverkusen Club in Germany.
When is the World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11 and ends on July 19.
The group stage
- June 12, 2026: USA vs. Paraguay (Los Angeles Stadium)
- June 19, 2026: USA vs. Australia (Seattle Stadium)
- June 25, 2026: USA vs. Türkiye (Los Angeles Stadium)
These three matches will determine whether the Americans can advance from the group and begin a knockout-stage run in front of a home crowd.
The American team benefits from being seeded as a co-host in the expanded tournament, which could keep them from playing an elite opponent until the round of 16.
The U.S. hopes to advance far in the tournament and show it is making progress in a sport that trails the NFL, MLB and NBA in popularity at home. The Americans are 1-7 in knockout World Cup matches, the only win over regional rival Mexico in 2002.
Since reaching the semifinals of the first World Cup in 1930, the furthest Team USA has advanced was the 2002 quarterfinals. While they have lost eight straight matches to European opponents since 2022, getting outscored 22-6, the Americans have a high level of confidence.
How to watch the World Cup
Outside of watching the championship on live TV, there are several options audiences can choose from to enjoy the soccer matches.
One free option is through FIFA+ and select YouTube streams. It will also be available for free on Australia’s SBS On Demand.
Other paid options include:
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the USMNT website and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from San Jose.