The United States enters the World Cup on home soil facing the highest stakes in its soccer history. A strong run could accelerate the sport's growth in a country where football, basketball, and baseball dominate.
As co-hosts, the Americans automatically qualified, leaving questions about the squad's readiness under manager Mauricio Pochettino. But the pressure is clear: reaching the knockout rounds is the minimum expectation, following a round-of-16 exit in Qatar in 2022 and the humiliation of missing the 2018 tournament in Russia.
The U.S. is the highest-ranked team in Group D, facing Turkey, Australia, and Paraguay. Winning the group is realistic and would provide a favorable knockout path, potentially against Canada or other lower-seeded teams-offering a chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
Star Christian Pulisic calls this the strongest team the U.S. has produced and expects home support to inspire the squad. 'The energy in the stadiums is going to be great,' he said. 'We want to take that motivation and push to make the American people proud.'
A deep run would energize a new generation of fans and boost Major League Soccer's standing in the North American sports landscape. The U.S. opens against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.