The USMNT’s Five Performances at the 2026 World Cup

The U.S. men’s national team entered the 2026 World Cup with immense hope, knowing it had the advantage of playing on home soil and a favorable draw. By the end, there was nothing more than a sense of dread, exiting on a dismal 4–1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16.

Yet, it wasn’t all bad for manager Mauricio Pochettino’s men. They showed their potential at points throughout the group stage and adaptability in the round of 32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even some depth players stepped up big, all before the eventual disheartening finish.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks each of the USMNT's five World Cup performances this summer.

5. USMNT 1–4 Belgium | Round of 16

Christian Pulisic (right) and the entire USMNT struggled against Belgium. | REUTERS

Nobody said the World Cup was easy. Yes, the USMNT had a softer pathway as hosts and Group D winners, but it was always going to have to take down a giant of the global game at some point. Unfortunately, that moment came against Belgium in the round of 16, falling to a European side that had otherwise been largely lifeless through the group stage and round of 32.

The biggest issue wasn’t Belgium’s level, but rather the USMNT’s lack of effort, intensity and adjustability. Pochettino’s men were swiftly overwhelmed, while star player Christian Pulisic was nowhere near strong enough to be in the starting role he played.

From there, each of the center backs, Chris Richards and Tim Ream, had a dismal day, while goalkeeper Matt Freese had moments that will spark nightmares for years. All players largely underperformed their potential.

After controversy over Folarin Balogun’s eligibility and a one-year red card suspension that allowed the talismanic striker to play in the game, he managed just 9 touches in the first half and was among the most disappointing players on either team.

It was a disaster for the USMNT in its biggest game of the tournament and will go down as one of the most significant missed opportunities in the federation’s history, with over 50 million people tuning in to watch.

4. USMNT 2–0 Australia | Group D

Alex Freeman cheering — Alex Freeman powered the USMNT to victory over Australia. | John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images

A 2 –0 win against one of the better teams in the group should be higher on this ranking. Still, it was a relatively dire day for most of the USMNT players, who were reeling after Pulisic was ruled out of contention with an injury sustained in the opening-game win over Paraguay.

Australia ensured that the USMNT wouldn’t have a ton to work with from the beginning, with 6'6" center back Harry Souttar offering an intense physical challenge to Balogun, sparking scuffles throughout the afternoon in Seattle. At the same time, Australian manager Tony Popovic dropped some of his more elusive talents in favor of physically imposing players, looking to shut the USMNT down—and it worked for most of the day.

It took an 11th-minute own goal for the USMNT to get rolling in this one, before Alex Freeman’s electrifying performance got its crowning moment right before halftime with his first World Cup goal. He finished the day with a well-rounded performance featuring a goal, 11 defensive contributions and seven passes into the final third, in what was a gritty, ugly win.

Outside of Freeman, though, the day was rough. Neither Balogun nor Pepi found anything in attack, and the shift to a two-striker system while maintaining the fluid back three and back five didn’t produce as much as the USMNT would’ve imagined. The Americans got the job done, but it wasn’t pretty.

3. USMNT 2–3 Türkiye | Group D

Sebastian Berhalter (left) impressed, but Arda Güler (right) helped his side force the upset. | Frederic J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

If the USMNT ever needed a boost in confidence that its depth is strong, the strong performance against Türkiye, despite a late collapse and loss after more first-choice players came on, should provide it.

The match started with set-piece success, as Auston Trusty finished a perfectly delivered ball from Sebastian Berhalter, who then kicked off one of the best individual performances of the USMNT’s entire tournament. After delivering that corner kick, Berhalter scored in the 49th minute from long range and showed his tenacity with 98 touches and 5 shots, each the most of any player in the matchup.

While there were certainly some downsides, it showed that the USMNT was confident enough in its depth and could still create chances, as it did with 18 shots and 2.18 xG. The strongest performers were all under age 26, meaning they could play an important role in the buildup to the 2030 World Cup.

2. USMNT 2–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Round of 32

Folarin Balogun's (center) red card overshadowed what was otherwise a strong performance. | REUTERS

Credit the expanded 48-team World Cup format, but the USMNT finally ended its knockout game winless drought, winning in the second phase of the World Cup for the first time since the quarterfinal run at the 2002 tournament. While the round of 32 was new, it saw the USMNT deliver one of its most complete performances.

Facing a low block and physical challenge from the Bosnians, the USMNT adapted well, narrowing the game in possession with quick passes in the middle channels before spreading the ball wide for stretched runs. It successfully broke Bosnian defensive lines on the ground and avoided the aerial prowess of the Balkan nation.

Employing a 4-1-4-1 formation, Pochettino got more from Tyler Adams in a solo midfield role. At the same time, Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie were still able to distribute to Pulisic—who returned from injury—and Sergiño Dest to create opportunities.

After Balogun was sent off for stepping on Tarik Muharemović, the USMNT adapted well, dropping wingbacks into a back-five and slowing the game down to ensure victory.

1. USMNT 4–1 Paraguay | Group D

Tim Ream (left) and Folarin Balogun (right) helped lead the USMNT to an impressive win over Paraguay. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters

Things started so well. After impressing with a 3–2 win over Senegal and an even better 2–1 loss to Germany ahead of the World Cup, the USMNT seemed to be at its best as soon as the tournament kicked off against Paraguay in Los Angeles.

While Paraguay offered the USMNT a chance to take on the lowest-ranked team in Group D to start the competition, Pochettino made no mistakes in his planning for the game. The roster was as healthy as possible, and Pulisic forced an own goal and added an assist in a tormenting first-half performance against Juan Cáceres before injury set in.

It marked the breakout game for Balogun as well, netting a vital brace in his first World Cup appearance. At the same time, the midfield partnership of McKennie and Tillman created six combined chances and six shots, offering sincere trust in the midfield.

The sense of hope that came out of this match brought the USMNT’s World Cup dreams to near-unparalleled levels and enraptured fans all across North America.

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