World Cup Beginner’s Guide—Everything You Need to Know to Cheer on the USMNT

Millions are expected to tune in for the 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup.

The U.S. is hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994. | Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The World Cup has finally arrived, and millions will be tuning into the 104 matches across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico over the next month—but are you ready?

After eight years of preparation since winning the bid to host the 2026 tournament back in 2018, the three host nations are finally ready to hit the pitch. Each co-host has high expectations, but it’s the U.S. men’s national team that dreams of the most significant breakout, with manager Mauricio Pochettino even suggesting his side could win the whole thing, saying, “Why not us?”

Soccer is about to take over, and the USMNT will capture the hearts of many across the country. Whether you are new to soccer, re-acquainting yourself with the sport after four years, or finally buying into the USMNT, Sports Illustrated is here to help you brush up.

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When and Where is the World Cup?

Los Angeles’s SoFi Stadium will host two of the USMNT’s first three World Cup matches. | Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

This summer’s World Cup is the first edition with 48 teams, up from the previous 32-team model, and will be the first hosted across three countries from June 11 to July 19. The tournament will travel to 16 cities, 11 of which are in the U.S., including Los Angeles, Kansas City, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Teams will try to limit their travel, selecting training base-camps near their game locations.

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Who Will the USMNT Play in the Group Stage?

How the USMNT’s first World Cup match could look like against Paraguay. | FIFA

The World Cup is split into 12 different groups of four countries each, and the USMNT will compete in Group D, alongside Australia, Paraguay and Türkiye, with each team playing once against each other. A win is worth three points, while a draw is worth one point. A loss is worth zero. During this phase, there are no tie-breaking procedures for games; teams that are level at full-time—90 minutes of play—settle for a draw. 

The teams that finish first and second in each group will automatically advance to the round of 32. At the same time, the top eight of the 12 total third-place teams will also advance, according to a tie-breaking procedure based on points, goal differential and other methods. 

If the USMNT tops Group D as it is anticipated to do, then it will play a round of 32 match in San Francisco, where it will meet a third-place finisher from another group on July 1.

A second-place finish would see the U.S. travel to Dallas to face the runner-up from Group G, one of Belgium, Egypt, Iran or New Zealand.  Third, meanwhile, would leave the Stars and Stripes’ fate more up in the air.

Winning one’s group often offers the easiest path and will be a primary goal for the co-host this summer. 

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Who are the USMNT’s Star Players?

Christian Pulisic is the biggest name on the USMNT. | Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images

Christian Pulisic is the most high-profile star on the USMNT and is in great form after scoring and assisting in a 3–2 friendly win last week over African powerhouse Senegal in the penultimate game before the World Cup. That was an important performance for the 27-year-old, as he hadn’t scored for the USMNT since 2024 and had ended his club season with Italian giants AC Milan without a goal in 19 games.

Aside from Pulisic, who wears jersey No. 10 and plays primarily as a winger or central attacker, the biggest stars will be Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun. 

McKennie, a standout talent known for his versatility, has been compared to a Swiss Army knife for his ability to play nearly every position. The 27-year-old, who wears jersey No. 8, will most likely play in the central midfield with the USMNT. He had an impressive eight goals and nine assists across all competitions with his Italian club team Juventus in the 2025–26 season. 

Balogun, meanwhile, is the USMNT’s best hope for goals. The 24-year-old, who wears jersey No. 20, is a threatening, pacey striker who can push the opponent’s backline. He scored a whopping 18 goals with his French club team AS Monaco last season. 

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Has the USMNT Ever Done Well at a World Cup?

The USMNT made the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. | Ben Radford/Getty Images

The USMNT has had more success at the World Cup than either of its other two North American co-hosts, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea and the semifinals at the first-ever World Cup in 1930. 

This is the USMNT’s 12th World Cup and second in a row, after missing out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The other two co-hosts have never made the quarterfinals, with Mexico’s best finish as the round of 16, while Canada is hoping to win a first-ever World Cup match this summer after losing in its six previous attempts.

In 1994, the last time the tournament was in the U.S., an exciting group managed to reach the round of 16 before falling to future-winners Brazil despite a positive performance.

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Can the USMNT Win the World Cup?

Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT manager, has high hopes for this summer. | TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images)

It is extremely unlikely that the USMNT will win the World Cup, but the standards and expectations for the team are higher than ever. 

All of the 26 players on the roster are playing at the highest level of club soccer, in the top divisions of the respective countries that they play in, and have had the 2026 World Cup circled on their calendars for the majority of their careers. Several, including Pulisic, McKennie and Balogun, are bona fide stars in Europe. 

The USMNT will be disappointed if it do not win its group, and realistic expectations are that the team advances to the round of 16, with a chance at the quarterfinals as well. The USMNT is far from just happy to be part of the tournament; it sees itself as a legitimate dark horse for a deep run. 

The team has the potential for both extremes, though. There’s every chance all the quality clicks, and the team makes its way to the semifinals. There is an equal possibility that Australia, Paraguay and Türkiye offer stern enough tests to keep the USMNT out of the knockout stage altogether. 

Either way, it should be a fun summer. 

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So You’re a Fan—Here’s How You Can Watch and Follow

Watching the USMNT and most of the World Cup will be simple. Whether you want to catch it at an official FIFA FanFest in one of the 16 host cities, at a local restaurant or bar, or even in the comfort of your home, the excitement is bound to be off the charts, and matches are expected to smash viewership records. 

For every game of the tournament, U.S.-based fans can tune in to FOX for English commentary and Telemundo and Peacock for Spanish commentary, while following in-depth coverage of the entire tournament, right here on Sports Illustrated. 

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