As you probably already know, the US Men’s National Team put together a very disappointing performance in the Copa America, which cost head coach Gregg Berhalter his job. We analyze what happened here, but the focus of this article is to break down the three key things US soccer needs to do to compete in the 2026 World Cup hosted on home soil.
What is Competing?
What do we mean by “compete”? Well, it’s a pretty vague term, and I think it’s difficult to give a concrete target, like making the semi-finals. The goal: the team needs to give our fans hope. Hope that we can win the tournament, even if it’s for a few days. They need to captivate the nation and create some hype and excitement around how far we have progressed in the sport.
We need to use this excitement to increase investment in soccer, build awareness and interest in the MLS and our national team players, and improve the standing of our national team in the world.
Basically, we have to hype up the sport to a more mainstream audience, so that the money flowing in can continue to improve the soccer culture at all levels. More inspiration for kids playing pickup games and practicing in their backyards, more investment in youth development so we don’t have to rely on a pay to play model, and more people watching games in the stadiums and on TV.
This means we have to advance out of our group AND upset at least one major team in the knockout rounds. Even if we only reach the quarterfinals, I think the hope factor is the key. Do I think we could make a run to the semi-finals? I’m not sure we quite have the talent to say this should be the target, but it would be a great result and one that isn’t so far-fetched (see South Korea in 2002 or Morocco in 2022).
Two years is not a long time for a national team to make huge strides, but a lot can happen in two years. While there are probably many things our federation, players, and everyone else involved in the game can do in this period, we’ll break down the three key things that need to happen for the US to compete in the 2026 World Cup.
1. The Right Coaching Hire
The obvious factor that can make the biggest immediate difference. Gregg Berhalter was fired, and there are a few rumblings of whom is lined up to take his place.
The right coach can provide an immediate boost to the performance of the team, as well as use the next two years wisely to prepare the team for the specific conditions of tournament play. A tournament savvy coach can help our team navigate the unique demands of a knockout competition, getting the most out of our group of talented, but not world-beating, players.
ESPN does a great job of assessing the top 16 candidates in a recent article.
I think there are quite a few solid candidates on this list. I’m not sure who we will actually be able to get, but someone with international tournament experience makes the most sense. Unless it is an elite level club coach who has been able to overperform based on resources available (like Jurgen Klopp). Or has success in knockout tournaments and promotes a style of play that fits our players. Of course there are a ton of other factors to consider, and no candidate is perfect (except maybe Klopp, but looks like he has declined the offer).
Basically, it’s a tough but vital choice we absolutely must get right, with so many different unseen variables that will affect the outcome.
2. Players to Step Up Their Club Game
The coaching decision will set the foundation, but there’s only so much a coach can do if many of our current group of players don’t make the step up in their club careers. The better our player pool, the more a good coach can make our team great.
Over the past year, some players have gotten better (breakdown of our top players abroad for the past season is here), and some have stagnated.
We need at least a couple guys to step up as the key players for their club teams at the top level. This means taking responsibility to step up and win games as the main man.
Right now, we don’t have anyone in this role. Pulisic is the closest. At 25, he definitely is in the right stage of his career to take the next step. Can he take over games and be the key difference-maker in both the Serie A and the Champions League? Can he become one of the top players in his position in the world? Can he stay healthy? He’s definitely the closest thing we have to that game-changing player, and if he can do it on a high level for his club team, he can bring that ability and confidence to the national team to great effect.
A lot of players on the cusp
We also need a couple other players to hit this level or right below it. We have a few guys on the cusp, but they need to build on their club form around this upcoming season to give us more game-changing players on the squad. Guys like Balogun, McKennie (had a good season, needs the right move to build on that and become a key man on maybe a smaller team), Adams (needs to stay healthy), Richards (has had a half of a good season, but can he be the leader of a great defense?), Pepi, Dest, Cardoso, Sargent, Wright, Tillman, Musah, and Weah all have the potential to hit this next tier if they can put together a better season this year than last, or make a move to a different club to contribute at a higher level.
But that’s a lot of question marks. Too many of these guys haven’t made the leap we need them to. Too many are undergoing growing pains or adjustment periods to a higher level. They are all still relatively young, but the time is now to start making an elite impact.
Reyna – the biggest question mark
And these question marks don’t even include the players who need to revive their careers. Reyna is the most obvious example. Aside from Pulisic, he is the one with the talent to become an elite player. But for young playmakers, the key is getting into a club situation where you are trusted as the number one option, and then you become a difference-maker with game-winning contributions.
Kevin DeBruyne, a player with a similar style to Reyna, had the same crossroads in his career during his time at Chelsea. He wasn’t playing much, because it’s hard for elite teams to trust unproven playmakers who aren’t great defensively, so he went to Wolfsburg in Germany, a clear step down, to prove that he could handle this role on a mid-table team in a top league. He went on to have a couple great seasons there before moving to Manchester City as one of the best playmakers in the world. Zinedine Zidane was the same with Marseille before his big move to Juventus.
Reyna has a similar talent level to DeBruyne (seriously) but has not proven much yet, beyond a run of a few games at Dortmund. He may need a move to a mid-table team, where he will get the chance week in and week out to make a difference. Then he needs to produce. If he can stay healthy and get in the right environment, I believe he can reach an elite level before the next World Cup.
Goalkeeping problems
Uncharacteristically, this is our biggest question mark. Who will emerge as our number one for 2026? The right goalkeeper can turn a couple of games in our favor where we might be under pressure from a superior opponent. This is key to making a run as an underdog in a big tournament.
Right now the spot is Matt Turner’s to lose, but two middling years at the club level has left this position vulnerable. And he hasn’t been convincing of late with the national team either. We’ve had much better goalkeepers in the recent past.
At any other point in our national team’s recent history, this kind of wobble from our starting goalkeeper wouldn’t be an issue, as we would have had a couple of great options who could immediately claim the spot. Not so much anymore.
We need Turner to find a club where he can play and that fits his strengths (he’s not great with his feet, but he is an elite shot-stopper), and he needs to perform. With his shot-stopping talent, if he can find some form over the next two years, he could be a game-changer. But his limitations mean he has to find the perfect fit on the club level to get this game time.
We also need other options to step up big time over the next two years. Gaga Slonina of Chelsea and Patrick Schulte of Columbus are two young options on the Olympic team who could make big strides in the coming two years, but they are still young. It would have to be a big leap for either of them to contend for the starting spot by the time 2026 rolls around.
Ethan Horvath is decent but just doesn’t seem to have the “it” factor. Seems like more of a backup at this level. Zack Steffen, who was our starter until just before the last World Cup, has seen a sharp decline in his career prospects, coming back to the MLS to recover some kind of form and confidence. Can he turn it around to once again challenge for the number one shirt?
3. Competitive Friendly Schedule
The third key. Hopefully US Soccer realizes the importance of scheduling the best teams in the world for friendlies. This should be an easy one, but it’s not off to a great start – we face Canada and New Zealand in a pair of September friendlies.
Without any real competitive matches between now and the World Cup (we don’t have to qualify as hosts), we need to make our friendly schedule as difficult as we can. Playing European or South American powerhouses on the road, intentionally getting our players out of their comfort zone in difficult environments, will be the best preparation we can hope for without the perils of qualification.
US Soccer needs to think long term. Instead of more profitable friendlies at home, let’s schedule tough games (both on the road and at home, to build some domestic support) to get this team as ready as possible. The profit will come on the back end when we make a deep tournament run. It would be criminal if they don’t get this right.
Verdict
This team has so many question marks going into the 2026 World Cup. From a make or break coaching hire to the majority of our players needing to step up their club careers, we need a lot to go right to create the hope and excitement of a competitive tournament run on home soil in 2026.