Chris Richards ankle injury threatens USMNT World Cup 2026 campaign
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The United States men’s national team has a serious injury question mark ahead of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Chris Richards, 26, who many believe is the USMNT’s best defenseman heading into the tournament, will not travel for the team’s international friendly against Senegal on Sunday.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino said Richards was dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of Crystal Palace’s final two games of the season. Even worse for fans, there is currently no public timetable for his return.
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Chris Richards of the United States prepares before his Gold Cup match against Haiti at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, 2025. USA won 2-1. (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
“I think he needs to continue his rehabilitation,” Pochettino said. New York Post. “I think it’s much better to plan to stay here and train. [see] How about next week?”
The “here” Pochettino is referring to is the USMNT training facility in Atlanta; That’s where Richards stayed while his teammates headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, for their matchup with Senegal.
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Richards was also absent from the 26-man squad announcement in New York City last week, sending a video message instead while he remained at Crystal Palace for the European final match in Germany. Although he was a substitute player, he did not play in the match.
Richards has yet to train with the USMNT and Pochettino did not seem optimistic that he would be ready for the team’s first match against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12.
Chris Richards, wearing jersey No. 3, plays for the United States during an international friendly football match against Japan at Lower.com Field on September 9, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
“I was asking when you came here yesterday. [assistant coach] Jesus [Pérez] Pochettino explained 100 times: ‘What do you think, what do you think, what formation do we have?’ “Wait, wait, wait, wait. The answer was ‘Wait, wait, wait’. It’s too early yet. We’ll have to see. The next few days will be important to see whether they are ready for the World Cup.”
Although Richards is not expected to be removed from the squad, FIFA is demanding that all 48 teams complete their 26-man squads by June. Teams may continue to make roster changes due to injury up to 24 hours before their first match.
While the USMNT will try to contain their chemistry and technical skills against Senegal, they will also face Germany in a pre-World Cup friendly before heading to Los Angeles for the start of their Group D schedule.
After Paraguay, the USA will play against Australia in Seattle on June 19, and then Türkiye will play their last group match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 25.
Chris Richards practices with the United States men’s national soccer team at Children’s Health Atlanta Training Field in Marietta, Ga., on March 26, 2026. (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
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However, an important question mark remains at centre-back, one of the most important positions on the field for the USMNT. Richards is a natural fit there, but the depth behind him is far less convincing despite sacrificing some attacking options to strengthen the defense in Pochettino’s squad.
Richards was expected to start every game for the USA before the roster was finalized, so it will be interesting to see how his injury progresses as we get closer to the first game on June 12.
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