26 USMNT Moments, Past to Present: Building Toward 2026
The tournaments and results for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2026 on home soil
This is 26 USMNT Moments: Past to Present, a U.S. Soccer content series that covers 26 defining moments in U.S. Men's National Team history. From inspired victories to stunning goals, and the stars and hidden heroes who made them possible, each chapter reminds us that our dreams on the pitch are worth chasing. Together, they’ve built toward the biggest moment yet: the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
U.S. Soccer won the bid to host FIFA World Cup 2026, a significant moment in the trajectory of soccer in America. But on the pitch, the journey to the sport’s biggest tournament didn’t begin with triumph.
It began with lessons.
The first was the 2024 Copa América, the premier soccer tournament for South American nations. The longest-running international competition in the world usually consists of the 10 members of CONMEBOL, the South American governing body, plus two invited teams from other confederations. In 2024, the U.S. was not only invited to participate, it hosted the tournament for a second time after the wildly successful Copa América Centenario in 2016.
Copa América on American soil was viewed as a warm-up for what was to come two years later. The USA was drawn into Group C along with Bolivia, Panama and Uruguay. The USMNT entered the tournament as the second favorites in the group, and many thought the U.S. had a very strong chance to advance to the knockout stage.
And the team got off to a strong start with a 2-0 win over Bolivia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Forward Christian Pulisic and striker Folarin Balogun scored in a match where the U.S. dominated with 18 shots compared to Bolivia’s six.
But after that potent start, things quickly went south.
After the opening win, the USMNT stumbled. The group lost 2-1 to Panama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta after forward Tim Weah was issued a red card in the 18th minute. In the group stage finale, the U.S. fell short to South American heavyweight Uruguay 1-0 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
With two losses, the U.S. was eliminated. Despite expectations the Americans failed to advance out of the group stage.
“To see the guys’ faces in the locker room and see the emotions of the staff and players, we’re bitterly disappointed with the result,” then-head coach Gregg Berhalter said after the loss to Uruguay. “We know that we’re capable of more, and in this tournament, we didn’t show it.”
Berhalter, who was relieved of his duties following the Uruguay match, went on to call the response an “empty feeling.” Pulisic described frustration and a need for the team to re-find its identity. Fullback Antonee Robinson said the result was “truly disappointing.”
Two years out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil, Copa América proved to be a wake-up call. It showed where the USMNT program was compared to other top teams around the world. Though the margins in that tournament were slim, the team had under performed in a major tournament on home soil. It led to a drastic change.
U.S. Soccer made a monumental move and brought in a new head coach to manage the Men’s National Team on Sept. 10, 2024. Mauricio Pochettino had been a star at the club level, leading major clubs like Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and of course, Tottenham Hotspur.
“I’m confident that we have secured not only the best coach but the best person and the best leader to take our program forward, a coach with a real mentality and a winning reputation, and a coach that matched our ambitions as we work and move forward toward 2026,” said then-sporting director Matt Crocker.
Crocker explained the three criteria that U.S. Soccer used to locate its new head coach: 1) a coach with a history of winning, 2) a coach with experience developing both young and senior players, and 3) a coach that matched the Federation’s ambitions.
“I am so happy,” Pochettino said in his introductory press conference. “I hope that we can enjoy a great journey. The objective is always to win, respect our values and try to evolve soccer in the USA. We are here to try to help and to enjoy a very nice journey together.”
With a new head coach came a new identity. As a native of Argentina, Pochettino brought a fresh perspective into the fold. He preached passion and commitment. He deepened the roster and pushed the team hard at training.
Pochettino made his managerial debut with the U.S. Men’s National Team on Oct. 12, 2024, just one month after being hired. His tenure started with a bang in Austin, Texas. Goals from Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi helped the U.S. to a 2-0 win over Panama, a side that played a role in the USMNT’s elimination in Copa América just months earlier.
Not long after Pochettino’s hire, less than one year in fact, he would face his first major test with the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The team was without several stars including Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie for various reasons. The situation opened up a chance for other players in the pool to step in and for Pochettino to flex his managerial muscles. Five players earned first-time callups and the roster averaged just 16 caps entering the tournament.
“We are extremely excited to work with this group of players and compete for the championship,” Pochettino said when the 26-player roster was announced. “Of course, our priority is to win the tournament and to show the right mentality and approach, and we are confident these players will take advantage of the opportunity.”
The team entered the tournament looking to rebound from a dip in form and four straight losses. The tournament offered the chance for a clean slate, for a group of young and bright American players to show something the summer before FIFA World Cup 2026.
The tournament built new stars out of several lesser-known players in the program. Midfielder Malik Tillman scored a brace in the dominant 5-0 opening win over Trinidad and Tobago. Defender Chris Richards delivered the game-winner in the victory over Saudi Arabia. Goalkeeper Matt Freese played the hero in the penalty kick shootout against Costa Rica.
The U.S. advanced from the group stage of the Gold Cup with flying colors and conceding only once. The U.S. continued to advance, culminating in a gritty run all the way to the Final where it would take on a storied rival. In front of a sold-out crowd of 70,925 at NRG Stadium in Houston, the U.S. fell short to ElTrî, 2-1. An early header from Richards put the U.S. ahead 1-0, but a more experienced Mexico side clawed its way back to secure back-to-back titles.
The belief built during that Gold Cup run carried over into the side’s fall friendlies. The U.S. went unbeaten in five straight matches against World-Cup qualified opponents. It closed out the year with a resounding 5-1 win over Uruguay, the same opponent that provoked the disappointment and frustration a year-and-a-half prior. The U.S. Men’s National Team was on its way toward building confidence, cohesion and belief as the World Cup moment drew closer.
“You can see the competitiveness today – or against Paraguay, Ecuador and Australia,” Pochettino said. “Of course, the World Cup is going to be different, but I think we need to prepare ourselves to be there and to really believe in our chance.”
“We’ve always felt confident, but performances like tonight and our last match against Paraguay, it shows the direction we’re going and the way the team is growing,” echoed center back Mark McKenzie. “It’s a day-by-day, camp by camp thing, but ultimately we’re building something special.”
It was clear with the way the team finished 2025 that confidence was growing. An identity was forming – one of passion, belief, commitment, bravery – all the characteristics that Pochettino desired for his team to emulate when he took the job. The players began to build their own legacy, a legacy we’ll see unfold in the coming weeks as FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on home soil. But to reach this point – the exciting, current moment we’re living in now – it was important to learn those lessons.
Each one was a step in an incredible journey that’s really only just begun.
Sandy McAfee is the Digital Editor at U.S. Soccer and will be covering the U.S. Men’s National Team at FIFA World Cup 2026. She’s spent more than 10 years telling sports stories as a graduate of the University of Georgia and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow her latest updates from the tournament on BlueSky and on USSoccer.com.