Seattle Sounders' Cristian Roldan makes USMNT World Cup roster

SEATTLE -
The U.S. men's national team revealed its official roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and among the 26 players is Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan. 

The backstory:

Roldan, 30, a native of Pico Rivera, California and former University of Washington standout has established himself as one of the most durable and productive players in Seattle franchise history. 

Roldan currently ranks second in club history with 397 total appearances and 72 assists across all competitions. He has 45 career international caps for the United States, including eight appearances during the last four FIFA international windows. 

His international resume includes being named to the U.S. roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In 2025, the midfielder made six appearances for the Stars & Stripes, which included recording two assists during a 2-1 victory against Australia on Oct. 15. He also played in all five U.S. matches during the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, where he tallied an assist in a 6-0 shutout against Saint Kitts and Nevis. 

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine sat down with Roldan to get his reaction about being selected for USMNT. 

Full interview with midfielder Cristian Roldan:

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: What is that moment like to learn that you've been selected for Team USA for a World Cup?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: Obviously, very emotional. I've been waiting for this decision for a very long time. It's a dream come true. As kids, this is what you want to do. When you think of your idols, you think of the World Cup, and now to be able to be part of it, it's seriously a dream-come-true. And I'm just excited to share this journey, I think, with a lot of different people. And I am able to do that because we get to play in our backyard.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: How nerve-racking have the last few months been for you.

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: Very nerve-racking, you know, I haven't been able to sleep at times, just thinking about the decision that's going to be made for me. You know, never knew what my summer would look like until the decision was made. And so all the emotions were kind of running through my head, right? The anxiousness, the nerviness. But also the excitement, right? The excitement of going to a World Cup, the excitement of playing in Seattle and LA as our group stage matches, my two hometowns. I mean, what a perfect storyline.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: Having been on the team in 2022, how much sweeter is it this time around knowing that you get to play for the host country and that at least one of those games is gonna be right here in Seattle.

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: Yeah, I think this one is sweeter. It's sweeter because part of me also was lost in the process. I hadn't been called up for two years. And so to make a late push, it feels extra rewarding to be able to make the last minute push into the World Cup. And also, I'm older now. I have a daughter. My family gets to see me at a World Cup. In. I think that part of that is just enjoying that bit of energy.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: This time last year, you didn't have any invitations to the national team workouts and stuff, but did you ever think this might be a possibility still?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: I always thought it was a possibility to still be back with the national team. Now, the way it happened is a different story. I think it happened so fast for me, but I think it made it feel so much more special being able to kind of make a late push. Like I said, be able to have my, my family along the way. But yeah, there was a lot of me that, that, you know, that that hope was dying down. I'm not going to lie. So to be able to... To feel like I was part of the team so fast made me feel like Like I was I was over the moon. I was stoked for the opportunity

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: whether or not you get any playing time against Australia, what will it be like for you walking out at the stadium, a stadium where you've won an MLS cup, where you won a number of games for the Sounders, and to do so now as part of Team USA for a World Cup.

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: Yeah, I think of 200-plus games being played here at Lumen Field during my career. I think this game will probably be the sweetest game. When you think about MLS Cups or Champions League or Leagues Cup finals, yes, they were amazing, and they brought the city together. But I really hope that this brings the whole nation together, and to, again, do it in a place that I feel so comfortable at. I mean it is such a dream come true.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: What did playing in the Club World Cup last summer do for you in your performances against PSG and Botafogo and Atletico Madrid?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: Last year's Club World Cup really changed, I think, the trajectory of my year, of my presence with the national team. But I think it just gave me a whole lot more confidence that I could compete at a higher level. I always felt like I could, but I was never able to match up against the very best. And so the Club World cup gave me the opportunity to play against Champions League, the current Champions League winner. Against a star-studded Atletico and one of the best teams in Brazil to be able to match up and look like you don't skip a beat. For me it was something that I've been wanting for a long time, so it really pushed me for the rest of the year.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: Where do you think you bring your biggest value to Team USA?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: You know, on the field, right? I still think that I can compete at a high level. And, you know, if I didn't believe that, I don't think that I deserve or I'd want to be part of the national team. You know I probably get a lot of stick for, you know, just being a good locker room guy, but I think I can complete. You know? I've always been part of winning teams and that's my attitude going forward. And so, on the field. I'm going to compete, I'm gonna bring a lot of energy, I'll be vocal, I will be a leader, I'm bring the team together and hopefully I can see the field and make an impact with the team.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: How much pressure is on Team USA to perform and succeed in this tournament as a host country?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: Yeah, as a host country, obviously, there's a lot of pressure going into a World Cup. But I think this is probably the World Cup that we have the most pressure in, right? We have a lot young guys that got experience in Qatar and now are far more established with their careers and with the national team. And so now at home with our group, with a bigger World Cup. I think that the pressure is even more, but I think with soccer, with the biggest stages, I think we invite that pressure because I think it's warranted, right? I think, that we should put pressure on ourselves to motivate and inspire the next generation and I think this is a great time to do so.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: What did you learn from that experience in Qatar four years ago that might help you this time around?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Christian Roldan: My experience in Qatar was very different, just in the sense that I was younger and I didn't know what it really meant to have a team during the World Cup and what that meant and how it looked. And so I think when I look back, it takes an entire team, it take an entire village to be able to have a successful World Cup. And we were shy of it. There's no denying that I think we could have gone further, but it really takes the entire roster to compete at a very high level at the World Cup.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: What are the biggest hurdles you feel like this team needs to overcome to find success in the tournament?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: I think taking care of big teams. Taking care of the moments in front of goal and being smart in front goal. I think that's really the difference between the lower level and World Cup winners or even nations that go really far in the tournament. It's the small margins in front the goal. And so if we can correct that, I think we're in a really good spot. Who are you closest with on the team? I'm closely with probably Christian Polisic. I've always found myself gravitating towards him and him gravitating toward me. We have a good relationship. I push him on the training field. I oftentimes match up against him. So we have an awesome relationship. I'm really thankful for him to welcome me with a warm hug every time. But really the entire group is close and it's kind of been established since 2022.

FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine: Finally, what do you ultimately want your legacy in the World Cup to be?

Seattle Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan: You know, I want to be remembered for some of the memories that we often look back at. When I think of Lennon Donovan's goal against Algeria or Clint Dempsey's goal against Ghana, I wanna have those moments with our current national team. And whether it's Weston McKinney or Christian Polisic, myself, you know, Matt Friis, It could be anybody, but I want to be able to remember the World Cup with a moment that brings inspiration and motivation to our nation.

What's next:

Seattle is hosting six World Cup matches, including Team USA game against Australia. That match is set for Friday, June 19 at 12 p.m. on FOX 13 Seattle. 

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