Matt Turner: The lone Jewish player on the US 2026 World Cup squad

When the US squad faces Paraguay in its opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Matt Turner will be the lone Jewish player representing the United States. He may also be the only Jewish player in the entire tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Turner, a New Jersey native, learned about his Jewish heritage by finding his paternal great-grandmother's emigration documents from Lithuania during the Holocaust. This discovery allowed him to obtain a Lithuanian passport, facilitating his European soccer career and deepening his connection to his Jewish identity.

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Once I found the documents, I was certainly very, very excited. America, in general, it’s a melting pot, and everybody has those roots elsewhere. So to understand your story, your history, a little bit is really nice.

"Once I found the documents, I was certainly very, very excited," Turner told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2023. "America, in general, it’s a melting pot, and everybody has those roots elsewhere. So to understand your story, your history, a little bit is really nice."

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The more my father and I dug, the more we learned, the more connected I felt to my Jewish side, the Jewish culture of my family. It really changed a lot of me.

He added, "The more my father and I dug, the more we learned, the more connected I felt to my Jewish side, the Jewish culture of my family. It really changed a lot of me."

Turner, now with the New England Revolution in MLS, was a standout goalkeeper for the US in the 2022 World Cup, where the team reached the Round of 16. He recorded back-to-back shutouts, a feat not seen by an American goalie since 1930. While he may not be the starting goalkeeper this time, Turner expressed his deep emotion about representing the national team again, telling FOX Sports, "I’ll probably cry when the national anthem goes."

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I’ll probably cry when the national anthem goes.