U.S. Men's National Team Faces High Stakes at 2026 Home World Cup
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the U.S. men's national soccer team is under significant scrutiny after a challenging four years. They reached the round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup but were eliminated in the first round of the 2024 Copa América. Mauricio Pochettino has taken over coaching duties from Gregg Berhalter, though results have been mixed. The U.S. secured automatic qualification as a co-host, resulting in a lack of competitive matches. Notable players include Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Folarin Balogun, but Pulisic is currently struggling to score, and Chris Richards is sidelined with an injury. The team is placed in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. The tournament is scheduled from June 12 to July 19 across North America.
Key facts
- U.S. men's national soccer team will host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.
- The team automatically qualified as co-host, avoiding CONCACAF qualifying matches.
- Coach Gregg Berhalter was fired after the team's early exit from the 2024 Copa América.
- Mauricio Pochettino replaced Berhalter in 2024; he previously managed Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea.
- The U.S. was drawn into Group D with Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey.
- Christian Pulisic, the team's star forward, has not scored since late December 2025.
- Defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his left ankle and is racing to recover.
- The U.S. has won only one knockout game in World Cup history, against Mexico in 2002.
- Former U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said success depends on winning the round-of-32 and round-of-16 games.
- The 2026 World Cup is seen as a pivotal moment for soccer's growth in the United States.
Entities
Artists
- Weston McKennie
- Christian Pulisic
- Tyler Adams
- Chris Richards
- Matt Freese
- Folarin Balogun
- Ricardo Pepi
- Gio Reyna
- Sebastian Berhalter
- Gregg Berhalter
- Mauricio Pochettino
- Landon Donovan
- Tabaré Ramos
- Sunil Gulati
- Trevin Wurm
Institutions
- United States men's national soccer team (USMNT)
- U.S. Soccer Federation
- FIFA
- CONCACAF
- American Outlaws
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Chelsea
- A.C. Milan
- English Premier League
- Serie A
- Khalifa International Stadium
Locations
- Al Rayyan
- Qatar
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
- Russia
- Washington, D.C.
- Inglewood
- California
- Seattle
- Washington
- Pennsylvania
- New York
- Alabama
- West Texas
- London
- Belgium
- Portugal
- Paraguay
- Australia
- Turkey
- Netherlands
- Iran
- Morocco