IRVINE, Calif. – The United States has hosted only one FIFA World Cup on home soil before this summer, so the 26 players on coach Mauricio Pochettino’s 2026 edition of the tournament do not need to be told that they are part of something special.
Some call it history, others call it special.
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Some call it legacy-building.
The American team from the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the last one hosted on American soil, made history in the game and raised the profile of soccer in the United States. Likewise, the 2026 squad knows what this summer could mean for the next generation behind them, as USMNT defender Mark McKenzie put it best on Wednesday before training at Orange County’s Great Park:
“We want it to be where the next generation of children and young players from different communities across the country will have the opportunity to see this game at the highest level – to see the joy of playing, to see that just because you come from a small town doesn’t mean you can’t play on the biggest stage in the world.”
One player he gets along with is McKenzie’s teammate in the back, Chris Richards. The center back grew up just outside of Birmingham, Ala., in the world of college football. Richards played basketball and soccer growing up and is the son of a Black father and a white mother in the South, where he extensively researched “US Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team,” an HBO Original documentary produced by Park Stories, in partnership with US Soccer and the US National Soccer Team Players Association.
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Once Richards decided to focus on football, he rose quickly. He moved from Birmingham to FC Dallas and then to German Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich on a one-year loan – all within the space of two years. Starting in 2022, Richards has made a home in the English Premier League with his current club Crystal Palace, the team last weeks won the UEFA Conference League, the first ever major European trophy.
“I like the level of winning trophies now,” said Richards.
With the National Team, Richards came close to lifting a different trophy last summer. The 26-year-old played a key role in the United States’ run to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final. Richards scored one goal in the group stage match against Saudi Arabia. The 6-foot-3 defender also opened the scoring in the final against Mexico with a stunning header to send NRG Stadium into chaos in just the third minute of the game.
After one of the most inexperienced players in USMNT history, the team exited the group stage, conceding only one goal. This fledgling team came up with just one result that could no longer lift the country’s eighth Gold Cup.
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“It just goes to show that if you go into the summer with confidence, you can make it to the finals,” said Richards. “That’s exactly what I want to bring to this team, and hopefully at the end of the summer, we’ll lift another trophy.”
Richards significantly missed the USMNT’s recent international matches against Senegal and Germany while recovering from an ankle injury. Earlier this week, the defender was part of a full training session – all 26 players available for the first time since camp began in May. He confirmed Wednesday that he is feeling good and ready to play ahead of the USA’s first group game against Paraguay on Friday, June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium.
Although he hopes to play on Friday, Richards admitted that it remains to be seen whether Pochettino will see minutes or not. The defender has earned 36 caps with the US men’s national team and scored three goals since making his senior debut in 2020.
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McKenzie and Richards are best friends, featured in the USMNT original content series “Camp Stories” on YouTube. Their connection goes back to their days together in the national youth team program. The two were members of the U-20 team that represented the United States at the 2019 U-20 World Cup.
Now, the pair find themselves at a different World Cup, part of a back-to-back group vying for the chance to defend the crest and kick off the club’s summer campaign with a win against Paraguay.
“The competition we have in this team will be the key to our success,” said McKenzie. “Going out every day fighting for the opportunity to represent our national team is something that none of us take lightly.”
