For the first time since 2002, a Chicago Fire player will represent the United States at the World Cup.
Chris Brady has been unveiled as a member of Mauricio Pochettino’s 26-man USMNT squad for the 2026 World Cup, which will kick off in just over two weeks. The Fire’s star goalkeeper will be the third-choice goalkeeper for the U.S. at the tournament, with Matt Freese and Matt Turner the other two included in the roster.
Brady is the youngest goalkeeper to make a U.S. World Cup team since 1990, when Tony Meola and Kasey Keller were 21 and 20 years old respectively. At 22, Brady’s call-up solidifies him as one of the top young goalkeepers on the planet; among currently announced squads, he’s the third-youngest keeper in the entire tournament behind just Chelsea top talent Mike Penders and Congo’s Matthieu Epolo.
Brady’s breakthrough into the USMNT has been deserved and overdue. In the early youth age groups, he was often overshadowed by fellow Fire 2004-born goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, but finally got an opportunity to shine at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in 2022. Brady was one of the stars of the tournament, winning the Golden Glove and helping the U.S. qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
In 2023 and 2024, Brady still struggled to emerge from Slonina’s shadow; Slonina’s high-profile move to Chelsea helped him earn spots on the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup and 2024 Olympic rosters, though he did not feature in either. However, Brady’s consistent performances since becoming the Fire’s starter at the beginning of 2023 finally caught the eye of the national team, pushing him firmly into the conversation by the beginning of 2025 under Pochettino.
Brady’s first national team call-up came for the 2025 Gold Cup. While injuries to Zack Steffen and Patrick Schulte did accelerate his inclusion in the U.S. squad, he seized the opportunity, reportedly performing well in camp as a backup. He was then called up for the October international window, and after impressing coaches during the March friendly camp in Atlanta, his position on the World Cup roster was all but set.
In addition to reportedly performing well in training during U.S. camps, Brady has had some excellent games as of late in MLS. Last week, he was the clear man of the match in a 2-0 shutout win over CF Montréal, making five saves at Stade Saputo. He also recorded a remarkable seven saves in an exciting head-to-head battle with fellow Naperville native and USMNT hopeful Roman Celentano, which ended in a 3-3 draw.
With six clean sheets already, Brady has the second-most in the entire league. The only goalkeeper with more is Hugo Lloris, who started both of the last two World Cup finals and is a World Cup-winning captain for France in 2018.
Though highly unlikely to see the field in any of the U.S. games, the World Cup ticket will be an invaluable experience at Brady, who is among the top hopefuls to be the American #1 at the 2030 World Cup. Though there are a handful of talented young American goalkeepers, such as FC Barcelona’s Diego Kochen and FC Bayern München’s Leonard Prescott, Brady still has all the potential in the world and remains on course to be one of the most talented shot-stoppers the U.S. has ever produced.
Complete U.S. Roster
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 0 caps/0 goals), Matt Freese (New York City, 14/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution, 53/0)
Defenders (10): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew, 18/1), Sergiño Dest (PSV, 37/2), Alex Freeman (Villarreal, 15/2), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, 27/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 80/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 36/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 52/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 24/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic, 6/0)
Midfielders (4): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth, 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, 11/1), Weston McKennie (Juventus, 64/12), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders, 45/0)
Attacking midfielders/wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 57/9), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, 84/32), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 36/9), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 28/3), Tim Weah (Marseille, 49/7), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América, 13/2)
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, 25/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 35/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)
