TEAM SCHEDULE AT THE WORLD CUP
12 appearances. Best finish: Third place.
The United States is a co-host of the tournament and the bronze medalist of the first World Cup in 1930. At the 2026 tournament, the USA plays in Group D against Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino (Argentinian, since August 2024) is the highest-paid coach in U.S. soccer history (around $6 million per year). The leaders: Christian Pulisic (captain), Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Giovanni Reyna.
In 1930 in Uruguay, the USA sensationally reached the semifinal of the first World Cup, beating Belgium and Paraguay 3:0 each time. In the semifinal the team lost to Argentina 1:6 and finished fourth (FIFA later upgraded it to third). After that, 70 years of modest results followed: only the group stage in 1934 and 1950, then a 40-year gap. The breakthrough came in 1994 when the USA hosted the World Cup — a round of 16 exit to Brazil. At the 2002 World Cup in Korea, the team reached the quarterfinal, losing 0:1 to Germany. Since then: stagnation — three straight first-knockout exits or a failure to qualify (2018).
As a host, the USA qualified automatically, without going through the qualifiers — critics call this a lack of competitive practice. In Group D the main rival is Paraguay (the two haven't played each other in 30 years). Matches are in Los Angeles, Seattle, and again Los Angeles — all on the West Coast. The team's opener is June 13 against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
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