One Mo Thing: Inside The Drama Of Making The United States' World Cup Roster

In One Mo Thing with Maurice Edu, the former United States national team midfielder brings you inside the mind of a player at the World Cup.

The nerviest day of my sporting life was May 26, 2010. That’s the day I found out I was going to be on the United States’ roster for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

It was the culmination of a lifelong journey, as well as a massive comeback. I had moved to Rangers Football Club in the Scottish Premier League, suffered a huge knee injury and came back to claim my spot on Bob Bradley’s 23-man roster.

The process this year for the United States team was a little different than what it was for the 2010 World Cup. My final game with Rangers that year was on May 9. Then, 30 players were called into a training camp in Tampa ahead of a friendly against Czechia (then known as the Czech Republic). The day after that match, seven players were cut to get down to the roster of 23 players. 

This year, rosters were set before the final day of the club season.

Maurice Edu (bottom left) in the starting lineup for the United States against the Czech Republic (now known as Czechia) on May 25, 2026. (Getty Images)

Here’s the story of how I made the World Cup roster and how I found out.

I broke into the national team setup in late 2007, making three appearances in World Cup qualifiers. The following August, I moved to Rangers.

Then, at the end of my first season in Glasgow in May 2009, I suffered a knee injury that saw me miss about seven months. That meant I wasn't involved in that summer's Confederations Cup, which featured winners from all six continental championships, the reigning World Cup champion and the host nation. The tournament was in South Africa since it was scheduled to host the