How Far Can the United States Go at the 2026 Home World Cup?
It’s a big summer for the US men’s national team and there’s an awful lot of chatter about how far they can go. When the tournament landed in the country back in 1994, it was all about establishing soccer in the country, particularly alongside the birth of the MLS.
Today, it’s all about showcasing the USA as a powerhouse in the sport. But just how far can they go, and can they compete with the top nations such as France, England and Spain?
Top sports betting experts at MightyTips have done a deep dive into the USMNT to see just how they’ll get on and whether the predictions that MightyTips, and the odds that many sportsbooks are giving the nation, are justifiable. At present, most sportsbooks are giving the hosts a 50/1 shot of winning, while the quarters are a more realistic 13/5. But obviously all that can change.
It’ll be interesting to see how MightyTips, which consists of an international team of pundits and betting experts, offer up their free World Cup betting tips on the USA, who are in a favourable group, across the tournament. Here’s their thoughts on how they will get on…
Team roster
Mauricio Pochettino has yet to fully announce his squad, but the expected roster is a jet-set bunch, with many playing in Europe. In fact, a recent piece in The Guardian explained that their could be fewer MLS players in the USA squad than ever before.
Leander Schaerlaeckens said: “This summer, it’s entirely plausible that just two MLS players will make starts at the World Cup on home soil: either Matt Freese (NYC FC) or, less likely, Matt Turner (New England Revolution) in goal; and 38-year-old defender Tim Ream (Charlotte FC). Every other domestically based player seems to be an understudy, if they are in the mix to play at all.”
That’s because we can expect to see the likes of Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson in defence, of Crystal Palace and Fulham, Juventus’ Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman of Bayer Leverkusen, Christian Pulisic of Milan, Timothy Weah of Marseille and Folarin Balogun of Monaco, to name a few, making the squad and the first team.
Players to watch
And they will be the players to watch too. The likes of McKennie, Pulisic and Weah are seasoned pros out in Europe and will be the players to keep an eye on, but there are also several young players who may get the nod when Pochettino announces his squad who could announce themselves on the world stage.
Julian Hall is one such name who has been firing in the goals for Red Bull New York and at just 18-years-old could be a wildcard pick that makes a difference, particularly with Patrick Agyemang out with an achilles injury. Jeff Rueter explained: “So quickly has Hall established himself as a credible center forward that he has kicked off a dual-national duel. Poland is actively recruiting the teenage striker, with the federation president presenting his mother with a national team shirt bearing her surname and the name Hall wears on the back of his jersey: Zakrzewski.”
The United States’ best approach might be to make him one of the 26 players and give him his first World Cup experience while Poland don’t have the chance to!
Elsewhere, Nikeo Tsakiris and Zavier Gozo are also young players Poch could consider, while Leverkusen’s young Malik Tillman may also get the chance to shine on the world stage.
What are the chances of success?
It would be a huge disappointment if Pochettino, the USMNT head coach, isn’t able to carry his side through the Group Stage on home soil. They have a good draw and should fancy their chances against Paraguay, Australia and Turkey and go through as group winners.
In the last three tournaments they have qualified for they have reached the Round of 16, and soccer fans in the country will fancy them going a little further this time round. Not since the 2002 World Cup have they gone as far as the Quarter Finals, and in 1994 when they were last hosts it was the Round of 16.
They’ll face a third-placed group team in the Round of 32 if they progress as Group D leaders, so that pathway through to the Round of 16 should be on, where they perhaps are most likely to meet Belgium for a place in the quarterfinals.
That is a winnable game. While tough opponents, the Red Devils have an ageing side and with the whole nation behind the national soccer team a game against Spain could well await, providing the results go as expected.
That would be difficult, with the Spaniards the tournament favourites. They have one of the best World Cup squads and were fantastic in the European Championships just two years ago. It’ll be difficult to get past the European champions and make it to the semifinals or even World Cup Final and go further than they have since the 1930 World up. But anything can happen on home soil.
Honest verdict
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will likely be a landmark tournament for international soccer and for the United States national team who have a real opportunity to make their mark. In Pochettino they have a world class manager, while it’s likely the World Cup roster will be made up of experience and youth, which could throw up some surprises.
It’s difficult to see them really getting beyond the Round of 16 or Quarter Final stage at a push, though, with some major footballing nations expected to be put in front of them. As we’ve said though, you never know, and stranger things have happened in major tournaments when there’s a home crowd behind you.
