“Why not us?”
That’s the mantra that United States men’s national team coach Mauricio Pocchetino has used to motivate his team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted on home soil (along with Canada and Mexico) this summer.
But how realistic is that objective for the U.S. with less than two months before the World Cup starts? It’s a question put forth to three former USA coaches in the first of FOX Sports’ special roundtable series previewing the tournament’s highly anticipated return to North America this summer.
Jürgen Klinsmann on how USMNT needs to change their mindset entering the FIFA World Cup
“Obviously, if you set out the highest bar, there’s nothing wrong with this,” former United States men’s national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann said. “But in order to win a World Cup, it takes such a high capability of suffering and going through difficult times in specific moments, to play every three or four days once you get into the knockout phase.”
Klinsmann’s U.S. side was knocked out in the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after finishing as the runner-up in the “Group of Death” with Germany, Ghana and Portugal. He previously led Germany to a third-place finish as its coach in 2006 and was named German Football Manager of the Year for his efforts with the national team. He also won a World Cup title as a Germany player in 1990.
“When you think you go through the Round of 16 or the quarterfinals, you think, ‘Oh, now we’re really there,'” Klinsmann said. “Then comes an even more difficult game with extra time and maybe a penalty shootout. The thing is: Is our team ready to really, extremely suffer? Are we ready to go through the extreme of going one game at a time?
“You see a lot of top soccer nations in the world are just not capable [of going] previous the fifth sport, like Mexico and ‘quinto partido.’ They don’t have the assumption to go previous the fifth sport or go into the fifth sport — and now you could have another sport due to this match.”
(Picture by Jamie McDonald/Getty Photos)
The US males’s nationwide crew hasn’t gained a knockout stage match on the World Cup since 2002, and it has solely superior to the semifinals as soon as, on the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. On the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the USA misplaced, 3-1, to Netherlands within the Spherical of 16, with a roster that had the second-lowest common age (25.2) on the match.
Whereas USA’s roster is predicted to characteristic most of the similar key gamers this summer time, the expectations will probably be a lot increased.
“After Qatar, we appreciated that crew,” stated Bob Bradley, who coached the U.S. on the 2010 World Cup. “These guys have been actually likable. Now, on this subsequent interval, we’re anticipating extra, and there’s been some ups and downs. In fact, Mauricio is available in and not using a full cycle, they don’t get as many alternatives to play in opposition to large groups, however I nonetheless suppose we consider on this group. The optimism that they will come collectively on the proper time and do one thing that’s particular — I believe all of us consider in that.”
(Picture by Patrick Smith – FIFA/FIFA by way of Getty Photos)
A few of that optimism stems from the variety of People enjoying membership soccer in Europe’s top-flight leagues and competing within the UEFA Champions League. When Bradley coached america on the 2010 World Cup, there have been solely three People enjoying within the Champions League; this 12 months there have been eight, with one — Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso — nonetheless competing within the semifinals.
“We glance round now, and we see that Christian [Pulisic] is doing so nicely in Europe [at AC Milan]; Weston [McKennie] is having an unbelievable 12 months [at Juventus]; we see guys like Johnny Cardoso and what he does at Atlético; that’s a cause that folks get excited,” Bradley stated. “The extra guys you could have enjoying within the Champions League, the higher.”
Taking part in within the Champions League additionally provides the celebs of the U.S. males’s nationwide crew a worthwhile perspective that they would not have in any other case.
(Picture by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC by way of Getty Photos)
“I believe the gamers know now greater than ever earlier than what it can take to go all the best way till the tip; to ebook your resort, as we Germans do, all the best way to the ultimate, and if it’s a must to cancel the inns or the flights, we cancel them as a result of we’re flying house after the quarterfinal,” Klinsmann stated. “It’s a cultural ingredient that I see the U.S. rising into an increasing number of and extra.
“Twenty or 30 years in the past, [American players] have been additionally in Europe. … However now they’re within the Champions League and the Champions League is totally different. Now, we’ve got 5 to seven gamers there, and that provides me the sensation that, in the event that they actually construct distinctive chemistry, in the event that they get alongside, if they assist one another when issues get nasty and soiled — and it’ll get nasty and soiled — then possibly they will actually shock one sport at a time.”
The US may have two warm-up matches in opposition to Senegal and Germany, two groups which are increased within the FIFA world rankings, forward of its World Cup opener in opposition to Paraguay on June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium.
Pochettino’s aspect will probably be hoping to make use of these matches as a chance to snap their three-match dropping streak and construct some constructive momentum going into the match, however kind is fallacy on the World Cup, based on former USA coach Steve Sampson.
“I actually consider that when the second comes that they’re enjoying in opposition to Paraguay, that’s when all of it has to return collectively,” stated Sampson, who coached the U.S. on the 1998 World Cup and was an assistant for the 1994 match within the U.S. “The management of this crew has to drag the crew collectively and say, ‘Look, neglect about what’s occurred earlier than.'”
Bob Bradley breaks down his FIFA World Cup Expectations for USMNT
For Klinsmann, that short-term reminiscence is “the artwork” behind success on the World Cup: “It’s important to neglect about what you simply did instantly.”
And in the event that they try this?
“I don’t suppose there’s a straightforward path, however so long as they get some momentum in these first video games, I believe they will do one thing particular,” Sampson stated.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch
The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Unfold throughout three international locations, the match will culminate with the ultimate on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air reside throughout FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with each match streaming reside and on-demand inside each the FOX One and the FOX Sports activities apps. A report 40 matches, greater than one-third of the match, will air in prime time throughout FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
