USA Copa America roster: 27-man USMNT squad for 2024 pre-tournament friendlies vs. Colombia, Brazil announced

The United States men will face a critical summer in 2024 as they host the Copa America, with the CONMEBOL championship to be played on U.S. soil as a tune-up event for the 2026 World Cup in two years.

Aside from being a World Cup warmup, though, this tournament is a chance for the U.S. to gain valuable minutes against world-class opposition and earn international acclaim in one of the top international competitions around.

Gregg Berhalter will know the Copa America will be about results, and there are no moral victories or larger takeaways that rank above wins and losses. Reaching past the quarterfinals of this competition will be of paramount importance to the United States, and thus bringing the best players available will be a top priority.

The Sporting News looks at what players will be in the mix for a Copa America roster spot, and who could be on the outside looking in, understanding that injuries and fitness concerns will arise to muddy the waters over the coming months.

MORE: Sergino Dest injured, to miss Copa America in devastating blow to USMNT

USMNT roster for Copa America 2024

A 27-player roster has been unveiled by U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter to participate in the pre-tournament friendlies against Colombia and Brazil.

For the Copa America itself, the roster will need to be trimmed by at least one, as CONMEBOL announced an expansion of squads to a maximum of 26 players.

Below is the 27-man squad announced by U.S. Soccer for friendlies against Colombia on June 8 and Brazil on June 12. Official 23-26 player rosters are due to be submitted by June 15, with the tournament set to start on June 20.

MORE: Winger or striker? Haji Wright position decision will affect USMNT's right-back solution

Caps are correct as of May 20, 2024. Age listed as of tournament start on June 23, 2024.

* On loan at listed club

Who will make USA squad for Copa America 2024?

Predicted USMNT starting lineup at 2024 Copa America

4-3-3, right to left: Turner (GK) — Weah, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson — Reyna, Musah, McKennie — Pulisic, Balogun, Wright.

Goalkeepers

• In: Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson
• Out: Gaga Slonina, Drake Callender, Josh Cohen, Zack Steffen, Brad Guzan

Despite his struggles at Nottingham Forest this season, Matt Turner is still the unquestioned starting goalkeeper for the United States.

That's at least in part down to the fact that nobody has cobbled together a challenge to his spot, which is worrying for the U.S. goalkeeping depth chart. Ethan Horvath was stuck behind Turner at Forest and has only just recently moved on loan to Cardiff City, while young Gaga Slonina struggles at Belgian side Eupen during his first season in Europe.

Slonina was left off likely to be involved in the Olympic squad later this summer, and in his place as the third goalkeeper is veteran Sean Johnson who has been ok at Toronto FC, but at 35 years old is largely in the squad for his experience.

Drake Callender was at one time the most in-form of the group, but, like Turner, has displayed occasional issues in possession which seem to have cost him. Josh Cohen has finally found a new home at Atlanta United but has been unable to win the starting job from Brad Guzan, while Zack Steffen needs to put forth a number of solid performances to win back a spot in the USMNT fold.

Center-Backs

• In: Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson, Mark McKenzie
• Out: Walker Zimmerman, Jalen Neal, Matt Miazga, Jackson Ragen, Aaron Long, Nkosi Tafari, Josh Wynder, Auston Trusty.

At 36 years old, nobody seems to have dethroned Tim Ream as the steadiest presence in the heart of the USMNT back line. Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers are both well and truly in line for starting consideration, but the further spots were up for grabs.

Miles Robinson has worked his way back into the mix after his Achilles injury last spring and is back in the mix. Mark McKenzie remains on the fringes of the depth chart and is selected to the roster, but is at risk of being cut as carrying five center-backs into the tournament might be inadvisable.

Walker Zimmerman is aging and dealing with injuries, while the likes of Auston Trusty, Josh Wynder, and Nkosi Tafari will likely be options for the Olympic squad as U-23 players. Jackson Ragen will have an opportunity to establish himself as a World Cup option, but an injury in January camp ruined his chance to be in the mix this summer.

Full-Backs

• In: Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, Shaq Moore, Kristoffer Lund
• Out: Reggie Cannon, John Tolkin, Bryan Reynolds

The United States suffered their biggest injury set-back of the tournament when locked-in starting right-back Sergino Dest went down with a serious knee injury in mid-April training with PSV. While the specific injury has not been named publicly, a report from The Athletic states that Dest could be absent for up to nine months, indicating he has likely suffered either an ACL or patella tendon tear. That means he would surely miss the Copa America, and it elevates Joe Scally to a likely starter spot opposite Antonee Robinson.

There are additional questions now, however, as young Scally hasn't impressed in his time with the United States national team, and he's taken a step back this season at Borussia Monchengladback. There aren't many better options — Shaq Moore has been injured to begin the MLS season with Nashville but makes the squad, while many of the other full-back options are all left-sided. Reggie Cannon is maybe the biggest snub of the defensive unit, but he lost his starting place at loan club QPR in mid-February and thus can have few complaints.

The unconventional option is moving Tyler Adams back to his old position of right-back, given the midfield depth the United States has, but with his injury troubles at Bournemouth, there's no guarantee he will be in a position to contribute there either. Gregg Berhalter has some serious thinking to do regarding this setup.

Midfielders

• In: Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Johnny Cardoso, Luca de la Torre, Malik Tillman, Timothy Tillman.
• Out: Lennard Maloney, Benjamin Cremaschi, Cristian Roldan, Gianluca Busio, Djordje Mihailovic, Kellyn Acosta, Jack McGlynn, Diego Luna.

When the U.S. midfield pool is fully fit, it makes for a difficult numbers game that in all likelihood will leave someone very deserving on the outside looking in.

Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah have proven beyond measure their value to this national team, and will be included if healthy. Tyler Adams missed nearly 18 months due to a hamstring injury, but as the most natural No. 6 in the squad, he has made the roster barring further complications arise between now and the start of the tournament. Gio Reyna is struggling for club minutes no matter where he goes, but his performances with the national team make it clear he'll be not only in the squad, but a key contributor.

Malik Tillman is having a wonderful season with PSV, and is a beneficiary of the expanded Copa America roster, as he could have been left out thanks to the in-form play of Johnny Cardoso and Luca de la Torre in Spain. Timothy Tillman is a likely roster cut before the tournament starts, but Gregg Berhalter only has to leave one player out from the 27-man squad and thus he could stick around if the head man wants additional injury cover at the position.

Wingers

• In: Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson, Haji Wright
• Out: Cade Cowell, Kevin Paredes, Alejandro Zendejas, Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola, Taylor Booth, Diego Luna, Esmir Bajraktarevic

Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are locked-in starters when healthy, and both are far and away the most dangerous options for Gregg Berhalter on opposite flanks. Haji Wright has mostly played striker with the U.S. national team, but Berhalter stated in his pre-tournament press conference that the staff sees Wright as a winger at the tournament, as that is where he plays for his club Coventry City.

Behind them, however, is a hefty drop-off. In Weah's absence last November, Berhalter found it hard to make up for the injured Juventus man, with Kevin Paredes and Brenden Aaronson struggling to replicate Weah's attacking-third threat. Aaronson has turned around his club form late in the season, seeing him make the squad, while the likes of Paredes, Diego Luna, and Cade Cowell will be left to the Olympic squad.

Alejandro Zendejas was "very close" in March according to Gregg Berhatler. He has played exceptionally well this season with Mexican giants Club America, and thus has a solid gripe as the biggest snub of this roster announcement. The winger position is thin given the positional flexibility of many included as strikers.

Strikers

• In: Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi
• Out: Brandon Vazquez, Josh Sargent, Jesus Ferreira, Duncan Maguire

Folarin Balogun's spot in this squad is unquestioned at this point, even amidst a season of muted production at AS Monaco. He is being pushed hard, however, by Haji Wright who has quickly risen to prominence with another exceptional season, this time in the Championship with Coventry City, but he will be out wide for this competition.

Same too for Josh Sargent whose exceptional form all year with Norwich City would have seen him return to the national team in March but an injury ruined that chance. Wright could end up as the starter at the Copa America, and Sargent will likely see time off the bench.

Ricardo Pepi is a beneficiary of the expanded rosters, as while he's made the most of a tough situation at PSV, Wright's form seemed to have left him on the outside looking in. Unfortunately, there's just not enough room for Brandon Vazquez, who is on the outside of a harsh numbers game, and he could potentially be an option for the Olympic squad as an overage player. Jesus Ferreira is another left out.

Thanks to the flexibility of Wright, Sargent, and Pepi all whom can play out wide, Berhalter sacrificed spots at the winger position where nobody elevated themselves to the level required.

USA 2024 fixtures: Friendlies, warmup games and Copa America

With the CONCACAF Nations League title in hand from March, there are no more international windows until the Copa America squad convenes this summer.

That leaves just pre-tournament friendlies against Colombia and Brazil left on the schedule before Berhalter's squad opens Copa America play against Bolivia on June 23 in Arlington, TX.