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Alejandro Zendejas, Mark McKenzie, and Miles Robinson each checked a career-defining box on Thursday night. All three made their first FIFA World Cup appearances during the 2026 tournament’s group stage, joining a wave of fresh faces suiting up for the US men’s national team on home soil.
Zendejas entered the match against Türkiye as a substitute in the 76th minute on June 25. McKenzie and Robinson also logged their first World Cup minutes during the group-stage fixtures, cementing their spots on a roster that head coach Gregg Berhalter finalized back in May.
A roster full of firsts
Thirteen players on the 26-man roster are making their World Cup debuts in 2026. Zendejas, who plays his club soccer at Club América in Liga MX, was born in Juárez and raised in El Paso, and earned his first USMNT cap back in 2023. McKenzie, currently playing at Toulouse in France’s Ligue 1, adds European club experience to the defensive ranks. Robinson, representing FC Cincinnati in MLS, rounds out a trio that covers three different competitive ecosystems: Liga MX, a top European league, and Major League Soccer.
The 2026 tournament in context
The 2026 edition marks the first time the tournament has expanded to 48 teams, up from the traditional 32. It’s also the first World Cup co-hosted by three nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The USMNT opened their campaign against Paraguay on June 12.
The US last hosted the tournament in 1994, when the event helped catalyze the creation of Major League Soccer. Thirty-two years later, MLS has expanded dramatically and American players are scattered across Europe’s top leagues.
What the debuts mean for the players
Zendejas entered the Türkiye match with roughly 14 minutes plus stoppage time to make an impression. For McKenzie and Robinson, both defenders, the stakes are slightly different. Defensive debuts at a World Cup are judged by what doesn’t happen. Clean sheets, positional discipline, and composure under pressure from world-class attackers define success more than highlight-reel moments.
The fact that 13 of 26 roster players are World Cup debutants tells a broader story about the USMNT’s generational transition. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar featured a young squad that gained invaluable experience. Four years later, some of those players are now the veterans, while a new crop, including this trio, is getting its first taste of the tournament.
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