The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here.
And for the United States, expectations could not be higher.
Not only is the United States one of three host nations this year, along with Mexico and Canada, but for the USMNT this is the “Golden Generation,” a group that was the youngest squad at the 2022 World Cup, but has grown into a veteran squad with a chance to advance on home soil for this year’s edition of the World Cup.
This is a roster that includes members who have spent years playing overseas, such as Weston McKinnie at Juventus, and Christian Pulisic with AC Milan.
It is led by coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has been in charge of such powerhouse clubs as Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain. Pochettino himself has started to dream about bigger things.
“Why not us? Why not us? Why not us?” said Pochettino at the end of March. “We need to really believe that we can be there. We need to dream.”
And as we will see in a moment, the USMNT has a somewhat favorable path to achieving their dreams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What group is the USMNT in at the World Cup?
During the FIFA World Cup Draw held back in December, the USMNT had an advantage as one of the host nations, which saw the team placed into the top spot in their group.
The USMNT was drawn into Group D, along with Paraguay and Australia. The fourth slot was reserved for the winner of a FIFA World Cup Playoff, which was played in the spring.
Turkey eventually secured that fourth spot.
How does the United States stack up against the rest of the teams in its group?
According to the most recent edition of the FIFA World Cup rankings, the USMNT is ranked 17th in the world. Turkey is ranked 22, while Australia is 27, and Paraguay is 40.
That, plus the benefit of playing on home soil, gives the United States a very good chance at advancing out of its group.
What would happen if the USMNT advances?
Here is where things get very interesting.
With the expansion to 48 teams, FIFA has introduced a new Round of 32 in the knockout stage. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups advance automatically, plus the eight best third-place teams.
What could that mean for the United States?
As noted above, the USMNT is the top-ranked team in Group D. With the benefit of playing at home, that gives the United States a chance at winning that group. Should the USMNT win Group D, they would face one of those third-place teams, from either Group B, Group E, Group F, Group I, or Group J.
Then, if the USMNT wins that match, they would face the winner of a match between the top team out of Group G, and a third-place team, in the Round of 16, with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. Belgium is the top-ranked team in Group G, currently ranked ninth in the world.
This favorable path is one of the reasons many believe that reaching the quarterfinals is a reasonable set of expectations for the USMNT.
USMNT group stage schedule and results
Here is the schedule for the USMNT’s three matches during the group stage. All times are Eastern.
United States vs. Paraguay, 9:00 p.m., FOX
United States vs. Australia, 3:00 p.m., FOX
Turkey vs. United States, 10:00 p.m., FOX
