RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The U.S. U-20 roster is officially out, and head coach Vicky Jepson has named a 21-player roster for the upcoming 2026 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Poland . The tournament will begin on Sept. 5 and feature 24 national teams, with the final scheduled for Sept. 27.
"We have selected a special group of players who bring a broad and diverse range of qualities from both the college and professional game," said U20 head coach Vicky Jepson. "One thing we all have in common is the understanding that it takes everyone to win a World Cup."
The roster includes a mix of collegiate athletes and professional players, with eight members currently playing in the NWSL. The roster features players from six of the 16 NWSL clubs: Bay FC , Chicago Stars FC , Houston Dash , Kansas City Current , Racing Louisville FC , and Seattle Reign FC.
"This group wears the crest with honor, and we're excited to see what they can accomplish together," said Jepson. "They all have tremendous pride in earning this opportunity to represent their country on the world's biggest stage for their age group. We really want to thank the NWSL clubs and the colleges for their collaboration in releasing their players for this tournament, as it will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for many of them, and we know it will be an invaluable growth experience for these young women on their soccer journeys."
The 2024 U20 World Cup USA. team that earned a third-place finish also had eight pro players on the roster. This includes Bay FC's Claire Hutton , who was not included on this year's roster despite being eligible . Other notable omissions are San Diego Wave FC players Melanie Barcenas and Kimmie Ascanio.
The FIFA U20 World Cup takes place in an unofficial window and often conflicts with club schedules. Despite best efforts to build the most competitive roster available, ongoing challenges remain in balancing what's best for players, clubs, and overall development amid an intense and questionable time at FIFA.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006 are age-eligible for the upcoming World Cup, and players born in 2008 could be selected for the next U20 World Cup in 2028.
Listed by postion (college or club; hometown; U-20 caps/goals)
Goalkeepers (3): Caroline Birkel (Stanford; St. Louis, Mo.; 6), Evan O'Steen (Seattle Reign FC; Grapevine, Texas; 2), Kealey Titmuss (Penn State; Grand Blanc, Mich.; 5)
Defenders (7): Aven Alvarez (UNC; New Hill, N.C.; 12/0), Ella Bard (Louisville; Wadsworth, Ohio; 6/0), Lizzie Boamah (Stanford; San Diego, Calif.; 6/0), Pearl Cecil (Virginia; Encinitas, Calif.; 2/0), Emma Johnson (Penn State; Greenfield, Ind.; 9/1), Hope Munson (UNC; Holladay, Utah; 6/0), Katie Scott (Kansas City Current; Fairview, Pa.; 11/1)
Midfielders (6): Kennedy Fuller (Bay FC; Southlake, Texas; 8/2), Lily Joseph (Notre Dame; Hamden, Conn.; 2/0), Ainsley McCammon (Seattle Reign FC; Bedford, Texas; 6/0), Y-Lan Nguyen (Stanford; Fairfax, Va.; 5/0), Nyanya Touray (Florida State; Silver Spring, Md.; 4/0), Linda Ullmark (Houston Dash; Buffalo, N.Y.; 7/6)
Forwards (5): Emeri Adames (Seattle Reign FC; Red Oak, Texas; 4/1), Alex Buck (Washington; Medina, Wash.; 6/1), Micayla Johnson (Chicago Stars FC; Troy, Mich; 4/2), Audrey McKeen (Racing Louisville FC; Vienna, Va.; 2/0), Sealey Strawn (UNC; Prosper, Texas; 2/0)
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