FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – With MLS paused for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, many New England Revolution players have remained busy on the pitch, as 10 Revs spent the June international window representing their countries across senior and youth national teams for friendlies and World Cup preparations.
Of course, the theme of the month has been the World Cup as people across the globe wait in anticipation for the tournament to kick off on Thursday. Goalkeeper Matt Turner joined the United States immediately after New England’s last match at Charlotte FC, preparing for the tournament after being named to the 2026 World Cup roster. Turner started the U.S. friendly against Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte, making two saves in front of 57,741 fans, and conceding just once in the 44th minute. The appearance marked his 54th cap with the United States. Turner then served as the backup in a 2-1 loss to Germany, the team’s final tune-up before the World Cup.
The Revolution were also well represented across U.S. youth national teams during the international window. Both Peyton Miller and Brooklyn Raines were called in for the United States Under-21s camp in Slovenia, where they played two friendly matches against Ukraine’s U-21s and Uzbekistan’s U-23 side.
Both Raines and Miller earned starting spots as they took down Ukraine in a 3-1 win on June 5. Raines wore the captain’s armband, logging 85 minutes of play for the United States, while Miller was the only player to remain on the pitch for all 90 minutes of the victory. Taking on Uzbekistan three days later, the U-21s fell 1-0.
Midfielder Eric Klein earned his fourth international call-up, joining the U.S. Under-20s for two friendly matches against Georgia’s U-21s and North Macedonia’s U-21s. Klein helped the team earn back-to-back victories with a 1-0 win over Georgia and a 2-0 win over North Macedonia, which saw Klein on the starting XI.
Cristiano Oliveria also represented the United States this month, earning his second call-up to the Under-18 squad. He joined the youth national team for a 2-0 loss against Sweden’s U-18s and a 2-0 win against Qatar’s U-20s. Oliveira was in the starting lineup for the victory. Revolution II’s Javaun Mussenden also earned his second international call-up, joining the United States Under-19s as they took down Japan’s U-19s in a high-scoring 5-2 victory, where the midfielder saw 15 minutes of play.
Beyond the States, Alhassan Yusuf ended May in championship fashion, joining his native Nigeria to compete in the annual Unity Cup. This year’s tournament featured Nigeria, Jamaica, Zimbabwe, and India. Yusuf played a major role for the Super Eagles as they became back-to-back champions of the tournament, following his brace in the 3-0 final over Jamaica. The two goals were Yusuf’s first for his country, giving the team a boost after they narrowly missed out on World Cup action.
Although Yusuf did not play, he was also called up to represent Nigeria in two June friendly matches against Poland and Portugal. Allan Oyirwoth joined Uganda for scheduled friendlies against Tanzania and Madagascar, though both matches were canceled due to health concerns.
Defender Damario McIntosh earned his first international call-up, joining the Jamaica Under-20 National Team for camp in Florida. Preparing for this summer’s Concacaf Under-20 Championship, the Reggae Boyz took a statement 9-0 victory over Haiti’s U-20s, but fell in penalties to United Premier Soccer League side Miami United FC after going 1-1 in regular time.
Forward Dor Turgeman earned his 18th cap for Israel, taking on Albania in a 1-0 victory. The striker started the match and played the first 45 minutes before being replaced by Charlotte FC’s Idan Toklomati in the second half.
Goalkeeper JD Gunn represented Panama as the team continued its World Cup preparations. Gunn was on the bench for a 6-2 loss to Brazil before appearing in a 4-2 win over the Dominican Republic, entering in the 66th minute and holding a clean sheet for the remainder of the match. He also joined the national team in their final preparation before the World Cup against Bosnia, remaining on the bench for the 1-1 draw. While not named to Panama’s initial 26-man World Cup roster, he remains eligible as an injury replacement.
With players returning from international duty and others taking advantage of the midseason break, the Revolution will reconvene next week to begin preparations for the second half of the MLS campaign. New England returns to action on July 22 at Gillette Stadium following the conclusion of the World Cup, which will host seven games in Foxborough. While Revs fans eagerly wait to cheer for New England once again, the stadium will remain full of life, as fans from across the globe will fill the stands for some of the biggest games in soccer.
