Success has been present, but often fleeting for the United States Men’s National Team when it comes to the World Cup. The best the team has ever finished was third in 1930, but there has been a real struggle for the USA to make it past the Round of 16, outside of their third-place finish almost a century ago and their 2002 Cinderella run that took them to the quarterfinals.
The only time the USMNT has failed to qualify for the cup was in 2018 in Russia, where the team was wracked with problems. Outside of that, they’ve been a reliable cup team that tends to make it out of groups, then lose quickly. Will the 2026 World Cup be different? The first step is getting out of Group D, and history shows us this is a pretty favorable head-to-head group for the USA.
Overall record: 2-1-1 (four matches)
Most-recent result: USA def. Australia, 2-1 — Oct. 14, 2025
The only time that Australia has beaten USA head-to-head was in 1992, when the United States was still a fledgling soccer nation. Since that time it’s been more or less dominance in limited opportunities. This cup should be no different.
Overall record: 5-2-2 (nine matches)
Most-recent result: USA def. Paraguay, 2-1 — Nov. 15, 2025
Emotions were high when these teams met in Chester, Pennsylvania in November, with two goals being scored in the first 10 minutes to level the game 1-1, before Folarin Balogun scored in the 71st minute to give USA the win. Overall this has been a matchup USA has been very good in, and that should be the case once more when they meet this cup.
Overall record: 2-1-2 (five matches)
Most-recent result: Turkiye def. USA, 2-1 — Jun. 7, 2025
Easily the biggest test that the USMNT has in the group stage. Turkiye has had some quality matches in qualifying that show they are better than their No. 22 World Ranking from FIFA. This was a team that tied with Spain in November and have since won four games in a row leading up to the cup. A strong group of forwards led by Real Madrid’s Arda Güler will definitely keep the USMNT on its toes. This is a total tossup, and will likely define the cup for the USA.
