Mauricio Pochettino is urging his United States squad to believe they can make a deep run in the World Cup as the tournament kicks off on home soil next month. With home advantage, a favorable group draw, and a talented pool of players often described as the nation’s ‘golden generation,’ the Argentine coach is daring fans to ask, “Why not us?”
Though the U.S. has historically been a footballing minnow on the global stage, soccer’s growth has been explosive since the country last hosted in 1994. The co-hosts are no longer just making up the numbers. Young Americans now feature prominently at top European clubs—from Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie at Serie A giants AC Milan and Juventus, to captain Tyler Adams at Premier League high-flyers Bournemouth.
“I am here because I believe that we can win,” Pochettino said in the spring. “Why not us? Why not us? Why not us? We need to really believe that we can be there.”
Of course, few are placing the U.S. in the same conversation as favorites like France, Spain, and Argentina. For one, the U.S.—drawn in Group D with Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey—would need to overcome top European or South American opposition to advance deep into the tournament. While Pochettino’s men defeated Uruguay and Paraguay last year, those statement wins were followed by a 5-2 thrashing against Belgium and a 2-0 loss to Portugal in March, exposing persistent frailties against elite sides.
Concerns over star forward Pulisic’s form at Milan have also tempered optimism. Pulisic hasn’t scored since December and is no longer an automatic starter. Pochettino himself recently admitted that his roster features none of the world’s top 100 players—not exactly a confidence booster for the 26-year-old.
Still, at the last World Cup in Qatar, the U.S. took the tournament’s second-youngest squad and reached the round of 16 before falling to the Netherlands. On home soil, the co-hosts aim to go further, knowing that players like Marseille winger Timothy Weah have grown stronger since 2022.
Pochettino has experimented with an ever-changing squad and shifting formations in recent months. The final roster, to be announced later this month, will draw from three distinct groups. Pulisic, McKennie, and Weah are the brightest homegrown talents thriving at Champions League clubs. McKennie, in particular, has become so essential to Juventus’s midfield that Pochettino recently joked the Serie A club is “Weston McKennie plus 10 players.”
Then there are diaspora Americans, such as British-raised striker Folarin Balogun, who is likely to lead the line after a hot scoring streak at Ligue 1’s Monaco. Other dual-national threats include fullbacks Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson—born in the Netherlands and England, respectively—and German-born Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Malik Tillman. Finally, the squad will feature a handful of Major League Soccer stars, including Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, offering a telling test of the strength of the booming domestic league.
On a broader scale, the rapid progress of American soccer is undeniable. The USMNT failed to qualify for a World Cup for four decades until 1990, but has only missed one since, regularly advancing past the group stage. Its best modern achievement came in 2002, when Bruce Arena’s side eliminated Portugal, beat Mexico in the knockouts, and fell in the quarterfinals to Germany. Reaching the final eight again likely serves as the baseline for success in 2026. Beyond that? “We need to dream… Dreams inspire reality,” Pochettino said.