3 Soccer Stars With Ties to New England Competing in the 2026 World Cup for Team USA

The FIFA World Cup is back, and this time, it's being played in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Sure, the United States Men's National Team has never won the soccer tournament, and sure, the odds of them making a deep run seem slim. And yet, perhaps, 2026 will be the year for the USA, and perhaps, three of the team's stars who have ties to New England will have the impact to help get them to victory.

Say hello to Matt Turner, Matt Freese, and Miles Robinson.

Matt Turner World Cup 2026

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Matt Turner, 31, made his World Cup debut in 2022, starting as a goalkeeper in all four matches and only allowing four goals, according to ussoccer.com. Now, he's back for World Cup 2026.

And Turner actually has multiple ties to New England.

ESPN reported that although he's from New Jersey, Turner was a walk-on at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 2012 and was signed to the New England Revolution Major League Soccer team in 2016.

While his soccer journey would take him away from Massachusetts and go international, joining the Premier League club Arsenal, he would later return to the Revolution in 2025.

Oh, and one more connection: he's married to a former New England Patriots cheerleader, Ashley Herron.

Turner and Freese are both vying for the 2026 World Cup starting position, with that slot not quite being locked in before the team's first game at 9 p.m. Friday, June 12, 2026.

Matt Freese World Cup 2026

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Funnily enough, Matt Freese, 28, also a goalkeeper for the U.S. men's team, has his own New England connections.

He, too, attended school in the region. Time reported that Freese graduated from Harvard in 2022, and he even wrote a paper on penalty-kick analytics. Talk about a 24/7 focus on soccer!

According to ussoccer.com, Freese's first World Cup will be this one in 2026, having made his United States Men's National Team debut in 2025 and getting three saves in the first 90 minutes of his first game.

Now, whether it's Freese or Turner taking the starting role in the 2026 World Cup, one thing is for sure: New England represents!

Miles Robinson World Cup 2026

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Last on the list is New England native Miles Robinson.

According to ussoccer.com, the 29-year-old soccer star is a defender on the U.S. men's team and was born in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Like Freese, this is his first World Cup. Syracuse.com said that he was initially headed for play in the 2022 World Cup before an injury sidelined that possibility.

But now he's getting his chance.

"It's a surreal moment to be here to represent the country, represent the nation in the world's biggest tournament," Robinson said, per cuse.com. "I'm definitely honored."

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So we've got three players with three different paths to the World Cup, all connected to New England.

Just one more reason to root for the men's U.S. team, right? Let's go!