It may surprise some of the newer fans of the U.S. men’s national team that its history with the World Cup actually stretches back to the very first edition of soccer’s most prestigious tournament.
The U.S. was one of 13 teams who participated in the inaugural event in 1930 in Uruguay. A second appearance occurred in 1950, but then a 40-year drought saw the U.S. not return to soccer’s biggest stage until 1990.
Leading these World Cup squads were managers who made their mark on American soccer. From a surprise semifinal run to breaking a decades-long drought, to reaching quarterfinals and building golden generations, the men who have stood on the USA sideline have written the story of a program still chasing its ceiling.
Let’s look at the managers who have led the U.S. men’s team at the World Cup:
Robert Millar (1930 World Cup)
USA Manager Tenure: 1928-1930
The first coach to lead the U.S. men’s national team to a World Cup was the Scottish-born Millar, who moved to the United States in 1911. He played with some of the earliest created soccer clubs in New York and Philadelphia and even played two matches for the national team in 1928 before retiring as player. But Millar’s greatest contribution to the game was taking over as manager of the U.S. for the inaugural 1930 World Cup in Uruguay. Two surprise wins in their group stage against Belgium and Paraguay led to a surprise appearance in the semifinals, where the Americans lost to Argentina. It’s still the best finish for the men’s team in history.
Resume Highlights:
- Qualified the U.S. for the 1930 World Cup, reaching the semifinals
- Inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 1950
William Jeffrey (1950 World Cup)
(Photograph by EMPICS Sport/EMPICS by way of Getty Photographs)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 1950
After the 1930 look, the U.S. missed out within the subsequent two editions with the event additionally being on pause throughout World Battle II. When the event was held in 1950 in Brazil, it was one other Scottish-American who was in cost this time. Jeffrey moved to the USA at an early age, rising up in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He turned coach of Penn State’s soccer group in 1926, a place that he would maintain for 27 years. The U.S. Soccer Federation requested Jeffrey to take over managerial duties for the 1950 World Cup. It was at that event in Brazil the place the U.S. famously beat England, 1-0, in what was thought of one of many best upsets in World Cup historical past.
Resume Highlights:
- Led the U.S. at the 1950 World Cup, which included a 1-0 win over England
- Inducted into the U.S. Soccer of Fame in 1951
- Nine-time pre-NCAA champion with Penn State
Bob Gansler (1990 World Cup)
( Mike Powell /Allsport)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 1989-1991
Gansler is a Hungarian-born American coach who led the U.S. nationwide group on the 1990 World Cup. This was the group’s first look on the event since 1950. His defining second got here earlier than the event even started. The excessive level of his tenure was the upset victory in Trinidad on November 19, 1989, that despatched the USA into the World Cup for the primary time in 40 years. He took a group made up primarily of faculty and novice gamers, as the USA didn’t have a prime division out of doors soccer league on the time because the North American Soccer League folded in 1985. On the membership degree, Gansler coached each the Kansas Metropolis Wizards of Main League Soccer and the Milwaukee Rampage of the A-League to league titles, and was named MLS Coach of the Yr in 2000.
Resume Highlights:
- Qualified the U.S. for the 1990 World Cup, ending a 40-year absence
- Coached the 1989 U.S. Under-20 team to a fourth-place finish at the World Youth Championship
- Won the 2000 MLS Cup and 2004 U.S. Open Cup with Kansas City Wizards
- Inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a builder of the game in 2011
Bora Milutinović (1994 World Cup)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 1991-1995
Velibor “Bora” Milutinović is legendary for teaching 5 completely different nationwide groups in 5 straight FIFA World Cup tournaments – Mexico in 1986, Costa Rica in 1990, the USA in 1994, Nigeria in 1998, and China in 2002 – incomes him the nickname “Miracle Employee.” With the USA, Milutinović coached the U.S. on the 1994 World Cup hosted in the USA, the place the group recorded its first World Cup win since 1950 and progressed to the knockout spherical for the primary time for the reason that Nineteen Thirties. His preparation was equally outstanding. Milutinović combed via the U.S. school system, prolonged central contracts to 30 gamers, and arrange residency in Southern California, devising a schedule of 91 friendlies to provide his newly assembled squad a crash course in worldwide soccer.
Resume Highlights:
- Led the U.S. to the Round of 16 at the 1994 World Cup on home soil
- Guided the U.S. to a 2-1 win over pre-tournament favorites Colombia at that World Cup
- Won the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup with the USMNT
- First coach in history to lead four different nations past the World Cup first round
Steve Sampson (1998 World Cup)
(Photograph credit score ought to learn GERARD MALIE/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 1994-1998
Steve Sampson stepped in as interim coach after Milutinović’s departure and finally claimed the job completely after main the group to fourth place on the 1995 Copa América. Although he shed the interim tag after that robust Copa América displaying, the group’s group stage exit on the 1998 World Cup meant he was out of a job quickly after. The 1998 marketing campaign in France was a low level for this system because the Individuals misplaced all three group video games and scored only one aim, with inner tensions and the controversial exclusion of captain John Harkes including to the chaos. Regardless of the disastrous World Cup, Sampson’s 26 wins as USMNT head coach place him fifth all-time in program historical past.
Resume Highlights:
- Led the U.S. to fourth place at the 1995 Copa América
- Qualified the U.S. for the 1998 World Cup in France
- Served as assistant coach under Milutinović during the successful 1994 campaign
Bruce Area (1998 World Cup)
(Photograph by Brian Bahr/Getty Photographs)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 1998-2006, 2016-2017
Bruce Area is probably the most profitable coach in United States historical past by most measures: most worldwide wins, longest residence shut-out, and the perfect World Cup displaying since 1930 – reaching the quarterfinals on the 2002 World Cup earlier than a slim defeat to Germany. The journey started with a surprising 3-2 defeat of closely favored Portugal, Area’s system of high-pressure protection and fast counter-attacks produced an early 3-0 lead, earlier than a well-known 2-0 win over rivals Mexico within the Spherical of 16. In his stint in cost, Area guided the USA to 2 Gold Cup crowns in 2002 and 2005. He returned to the job in 2016 after Jürgen Klinsmann was fired in the midst of the World Cup qualifying marketing campaign for the 2018 version in Russia. Regardless of successful the 2017 Gold Cup, Area could not get the U.S. into the 2018 World Cup because of an notorious loss at Trinidad & Tobago. On the membership degree, Area holds a report 5 MLS Cup titles and shares the all-time report with three MLS Coach of the Yr honors.
Resume Highlights:
- Led the U.S. to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals – the program’s best finish since 1930
- Three CONCACAF Gold Cup titles (2002, 2005, 2017)
- 81 wins as USMNT coach – the all-time record
- Five NCAA Division I championships at the University of Virginia
- Five MLS Cup titles as a manager; stints at D.C. United, LA Galaxy, New England Revolution and San Jose Earthquakes
Bob Bradley (2010 World Cup)
(Photograph by Martin Rose/Getty Photographs)
Bob Bradley coached the USA to a second-place end on the 2009 Confederations Cup (which included a win over powerhouse Spain), a Spherical of 16 exit on the 2010 World Cup, and the ultimate of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup earlier than he was fired. His 2010 World Cup run was notably memorable because the U.S. topped their group for the primary time since 1930, powered by Landon Donovan’s iconic stoppage-time aim in opposition to Algeria. Bradley is considered one of solely three coaches to submit a successful proportion over 60% for the U.S. throughout no less than 20 video games. On condition that he didn’t have such an important group of gamers to work with in comparison with another coaches, the truth that he’s third all-time for wins with 43 is nothing wanting outstanding.
Resume Highlights:
- Runner-up at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
- Led the U.S. to the 2010 World Cup Round of 16
- The U.S. finished first in their 2010 World Cup group – first time since 1930
- 43 wins as USMNT coach, third all-time in program history
Jürgen Klinsmann (2014 World Cup)
(Photograph by Robert Cianflone/Getty Photographs)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 2011-2016
Klinsmann arrived as one of the crucial adorned hires in American soccer historical past. He performed for powerhouse golf equipment like Inter Milan, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich earlier than changing into the supervisor of the German nationwide group from 2004 to 2006. Because the USA’s most high-profile head coach earlier than Pochettino, Klinsmann promised a tactical revolution. Although a run to the Spherical of 16 within the 2014 World Cup was a spotlight, issues started to come back off the rails with defeats to Mexico and Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying, forcing U.S. Soccer to fireside him in November 2016 and bringing again Bruce Area to attempt to salvage the ill-fated marketing campaign for Russia 2018. Klinsmann’s emphasis on recruiting twin nationals and pushing American gamers to compete overseas had a long-lasting impression on this system’s tradition.
Resume Highlights:
- Led the U.S. to the 2014 World Cup Round of 16, including a famous win over Ghana
- Won the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
- Led Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup as manager
- Won the 1990 World Cup as a player with West Germany
- 55 wins as USMNT coach, second all-time in program history
Gregg Berhalter (2022 World Cup)
(Photograph by Stephen Nadler/ISI Pictures/Getty Photographs)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 2018–2022, 2023–2024
Berhalter completed his managerial profession with a 68.2% win fee– the very best of any supervisor in group historical past amongst these with no less than 20 video games coached. He guided the USA into a brand new period, overseeing the rise of what many referred to as the “golden technology” – Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and firm. The group received the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021 with a 3-2 victory over Mexico within the ultimate, and received a 3rd CONCACAF Nations League title in March 2024. His contract lapsed after the 2022 World Cup, however he was re-hired to steer a second World Cup qualifying cycle. Nevertheless, that was reduce quick and his tenure ended on a bitter observe: the U.S. was eradicated within the group stage of the 2024 Copa América, changing into the primary host nation to not advance to the knockout stage for the reason that group format was launched in 1975.
Resume Highlights:
- Led the U.S. to the 2022 World Cup Round of 16
- Three CONCACAF Nations League titles (2021, 2023, 2024)
- Highest win percentage of any USMNT head coach in program history
- 44 wins across two stints as national team coach
Mauricio Pochettino (2026 World Cup)
(Photograph by Wealthy von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)
USA Supervisor Tenure: 2024–Current
Pochettino, appointed in September 2024 on a contract via the 2026 World Cup, serves as the present head coach and the primary South American-born supervisor to steer the group. Pochettino’s résumé features a Ligue 1 title, a Premier League runners-up end, and a UEFA Champions League ultimate look. Pochettino has publicly outlined his aims for 2026 which is primarily to succeed in the quarterfinals of the expanded World Cup, at minimal. With a World Cup on residence soil and probably the most gifted American technology (led by star ahead Christian Pulisic and midfielder Weston McKennie) ever assembled, the stress, and the chance, has by no means been larger.
Resume Highlights:
- Led Tottenham Hotspur to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final
- Won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain (2022)
- Premier League runners-up with Tottenham (2017)
- First South American manager to coach the USA
- Tasked with leading the U.S. into the 2026 World Cup as co-hosts
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How To Watch The 2026 FIFA World Cup
The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Unfold throughout three nations, the event 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 dwell throughout FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with each match streaming dwell and on-demand inside each the FOX One and the FOX Sports activities apps. A report 40 matches, greater than one-third of the event, will air in prime time throughout FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
