NYCFC's Matt Freese will be at the 2026 World Cup with the USMNT

Since he made his debut about a year ago, Matt Freese has been fighting to be the starter for the United States men's national team. The New York City FC goalkeeper has since started the majority of the games for the national team, but making the World Cup roster was never a given.

However, even with a drop in his level at the club level, he is still one of the better goalkeepers in Major League Soccer. He is also one of the top keepers available for the USMNT, regardless of the criticisms toward him and the other goalkeepers available in this particular window. And again, he has been a mainstay on the national team for the last year. That is why it is not shocking that he is a part of the World Cup roster.

The official roster will not be announced until Tuesday. However, The Guardian revealed the roster a few days before, revealing who will be at the World Cup and who did not make the cut. NYCFC's Freese was one of the 26 players chosen to represent the US.

NYCFC's Matt Freese is going to the World Cup

Of course, things could change before the official announcement. Plus, nothing is truly official until the USMNT submits the roster to FIFA by June 1. But as of now, Freese, Matt Turner, and Chris Brady, all MLS players, are on the squad.

Turner has arguably had the better club season thus far. But Freese has been the main starter, playing with quite a few of the players on the roster. Hence, it makes sense that he remains as the starter unless he has any minor injury problems, where he can stay on the roster as the backup, but should not start. Alas, whether he will be the starter is a big question.

Again, Freese has struggled a little bit with NYCFC. At the same time, his backline has made awful mistakes where there have been multiple goals allowed that most goalkeepers would not make the saves. Fans will be watching to see what happens with the USMNT. At the very least, Freese will be able to say that he represented the Stars and Stripes at the World Cup.

At the same time, this might be a World Cup that USMNT fans will want to forget. The biggest tournament in the world might be in the United States. However, the team has not had the best lead-up, for they have played awfully against teams they should beat and some of the top national teams. Even in wins, they have not always looked their best.

Hopefully, that will change. But Freese could ensure that he plays his best and ideally has a great World Cup, no matter how many matches are played. If he does well, then that could lead to a confidence boost where he will be back to his top level with NYCFC.

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