‘Not Good News’—USMNT’s World Cup Preparations Rocked After Star Defender Suffers Injury

Sergiño Dest will face a tight timeline to play in the USMNT’s March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal.

Sergiño Dest left Saturday’s match in serious pain. | Kevin Senders/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

U.S men’s national team defender Sergiño Dest left Saturday’s PSV Eindhoven match against AZ in the 57th minute, grabbing his hamstring and screaming in pain. It puts him in doubt for the March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal. 

The reigning Dutch champions went on to win 2–1 without the 25-year-old, who suffered the injury near his own goal chasing down AZ’s Wouter Goes. USMNT colleague Ricardo Pepi scored the winning goal in the 85th minute and got into an altercation with Goes midway through the second half.

While the club did not release any official news following the injury, manager Peter Bosz said, “That’s usually not good news,” when speaking about a player landing on the ground and grabbing his hamstring following a full sprint. 

Ricardo Pepi 🤝 Hans Kraay jr.

"You know the word schaal?" 😅 pic.twitter.com/UWG4fwHkE8

— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) March 7, 2026

Dest has been relatively reliable through 2025–26, playing 35 games across all competitions. He previously returned from an ACL tear that sidelined him for 11 months in March of 2025, missing the 2024 Copa América in which the USMNT failed to advance from the group stage on home soil. 

This season, he only missed two PSV fixtures with illness, but now could be looking at a longer absence, depending on the status of his hamstring following Saturday’s scare. 

The World Cup is less than 100 days away, but friendlies against Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31 are fast approaching — and Dest has only played five times for the USMNT since 2023. 

In total, he has two goals in 37 caps and started all four U.S. matches at the 2022 World Cup.

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USMNT Replacement Options

PSV team staff helped Sergiño Dest off the field. | Kevin Senders/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Dest’s injury is a certain blow to Mauricio Pochettino’s hopes of figuring out his best backline, especially given his ability as a right wingback in the three-man setup that appeared promising in the final friendlies of 2025. 

For March, the USMNT could turn to Tim Weah, who has played right back, right wingback, and right midfield among other positions with Marseille in Ligue 1 this season, or to Alex Freeman, who has three La Liga games under his belt after a transfer from MLS side Orlando City. 

Those two have been regular callups for Pochettino, compared to another option, Joe Scally, who has had a mixed season with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. 

Following the March friendlies, the USMNT will take on Senegal and Germany in May and June to wrap up World Cup preparations, before the June 12 tournament opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles. 

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