WITHChristian Pulisic remembers watching it with his family. So did Tyler Adams, who saw it with his friends from football camp. Memories of Tim Howard catching the Algerian's header in Pretoria and sending it out of bounds to spark the counter-attack that led to Landon Donovan's goal. instantly iconic target. Target it spared the US men's team a red flag at the 2010 World Cup and sent them out of the group stage at the expense of Algeria. One of the most iconic moments in US soccer history.
Pulisic was only a few months away from turning 12. Adams had just turned 10. Matt Turner would have turned 16 the next day, and Howard's heroics had him wondering whether he should pursue a career as a goalkeeper full-time.
By 2022 World Cup In Qatar, Pulisic, Adams and Turner were the USMNT's star players, captain and starting goalkeeper respectively.
The World Championships drag on for several weeks. The group stage already seemed like an endless slog with 32 teams competing. In 2026, the field will be 48, with the first round alone stretching to 72 matches – more than the entire last tournament combined – over 17 days in June. The elimination rounds continue as well, with only rest days breaking the spell. This time it will take another 21 days to weed out the last 32 and become the champion.
This wall-to-wall football will be remembered only for the most important moments. Entire four-year cycles are determined by bursts of action, when the country stops breathing for a few beats. The trick is to somehow preserve these memories for your country and for future generations. To let the disappointment dissipate, even if only for a short time. IN shot. IN hit. IN conservation. That's the beauty of sports.
Next summer, the U.S. Men's National Team will have at least three opportunities to leave an indelible mark on the minds of future fans and potential future national team players. Friday's farcical prank at the Kennedy Center in Washington. appointed by Mauricio Pochettino's team Australia, Paraguay and one from Turkey, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo are awaiting the playoffs.
The challenge, starting June 12 against Paraguay at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is to make as many of those impressions as possible. For the United States, this is not a World Cup victory. Not really, anyway. It means leaving a legacy to a distracted nation spoiled by unforgettable moments from other sports, a culture consumed in fractions, flashes and 30-second clips.
Indeed, the Americans should play more than three games. Minimum four. Probably five. Perhaps six.
“At the last World Cup we couldn't set the bar or the standard for anything,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “We didn't know what to expect. We didn't go through that process. We didn't know what it was going to be. We're a lot more mature now. We've grown a lot individually and as a team. Everybody wants us to say that winning is obviously the goal. But I think setting a benchmark [going] The farthest the US has gone is also realistic.”
At the 1930 World Cup, the Americans reached the semifinals, which also marked the first four-team playoff game in the first World Cup, which bears little resemblance to today's mega-event. The modern high point that Adams was most likely referring to was the quarterfinal push in 2002. That tournament, in which the United States beat Mexico in Korea in the round of 16, was the only time the Yankees won a World Cup elimination match in seven tries.
But while the historical record is small, the second round of this tournament has never featured 32 teams before. The chances of meeting someone you can beat are higher.
“No matter which round we lose, we won't be happy,” said striker Christian Pulisic. “We will try our best and try to show a good result.”
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The good news is that the USA beat Australia and Paraguay in friendlies in October and November respectively by identical scores of 2-1. And by Flattering FIFA ratingsThe USMNT's 14th place finish is by far the highest in the group. Paraguay in 39th place; Australia 26th place. Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo occupy 25th, 47th, 45th and 80th places respectively. (Again, Türkiye just sent The Americans lost 2-1 in another friendly in June, highlighting the scale of the defeat.)
The bad thing is that more stagnant Elo ratings The Americans' 34th place finish would actually be the lowest of the group if Türkiye had finished last. Overall, USA Group D has the second-highest average Elo rating of any group at the 2026 World Cup.
However, the format is forgiving. A win in Group D would mean the U.S. would face the third-place opponent in the round of 16. Even second place isn't such a bad result, considering the Yankees would then face the second-place finisher in Group G, led by Belgium and otherwise consisting of Egypt, Iran and New Zealand. Of course, this is feasible, unless it is the Belgians who liquidated by the USA in extra time of the 1/8 finals in Brazil in 2014. Third place would spell trouble, assuming the Americans even finish in the top eight of 12 such finishers and avoid elimination: a meeting with the group winner, most likely Germany, France or Portugal.
That is, between momentum from recent USMNT recordcombining the talent of an unprecedented generation and the benefit of being one of the three home teams, the Americans really have no excuse for not playing Game 5 of this World Cup. 1/8 finals. At least.
Pochettino, however, preached caution and respect for the opposition. “If you're Argentina, maybe you can see what happens after [the group stage]- said the head coach. USAThe first game is the World Cup final. The second and third games should also be the World Cup finals.”
And after that, the more World Cup finals you play, the higher your chances of someone remembering them.
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Leander Charlekens' book about the US men's national soccer team, The Long Game, will be published in spring 2026. You can pre-order here. He teaches at Marist University.
