USA

USA at the World Cup 2026

The USA arrive at the 2026 World Cup as one of three co-hosts and the second-most-experienced of the trio after Mexico. Argentine head coach Mauricio Pochettino was appointed in September 2024 after Gregg Berhalter was dismissed following the disastrous Copa América 2024 group-stage exit. The Pochettino remit was explicit: build the squad that can deliver a Round of 16 minimum and a quarter-final realistically at the home tournament.

Pochettino's setup is a 4-3-3 with Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) at the base of the midfield three, Weston McKennie (Juventus) as the box-to-box right-of-three, and Yunus Musah (AC Milan) on the left. The attacking trio centres on Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) as the captain and inside-left forward. Folarin Balogun (Monaco) and Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven — 18 league goals in 2024-25) compete for the central striker role.

Pulisic enters the tournament with 73 caps, 31 goals and the captain's armband — but also with a 19-game goalless streak for club and country dating to December 2025. His form is the central variable. McKennie is the squad's tactical Swiss Army knife, used by Pochettino at central midfield, right wing-back, occasionally striker. Antonee 'Jedi' Robinson (Fulham) is the first-choice left-back; Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven) returns from injury at right-back. Tim Ream (Charlotte FC) and Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) form the centre-back pairing.

Group D contains Türkiye, Australia and Paraguay. The USA are favourites to top the group at consensus 2.20. The realistic ceiling is a Round of 32 win plus a Round of 16 result against a Group C runner-up (likely Morocco or Scotland). Outright tournament price 34.0 — the highest-priced (most-backed) CONCACAF nation in the tournament.

Group D fixtures

All three group-stage matches for USA at World Cup 2026 with current odds from our partner books.

Squad & predicted XI

Freese · Dest, Richards, Ream, Robinson · Adams, McKennie, Musah · Pulisic, Pepi, Balogun

Formation: 4-3-3 · Coach: Mauricio Pochettino

How USA qualified for World Cup 2026

The USA qualified automatically as a co-host of the tournament. Mexico, Canada and the USA all received automatic places via host nation status. The Pochettino-led campaign in the run-up therefore took the form of CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup matches plus friendlies, not formal qualifying.

The most material recent result was the Concacaf Gold Cup 2025 final, where the USA lost 2-1 to Mexico in Las Vegas — Pulisic and McKennie were both absent (rest and club commitments). The May 2025 Copa Centroamericana / Copa Oro window saw Pochettino experiment heavily with the fringe pool, giving first caps to Sebastian Berhalter, Diego Luna and Max Arfsten.

The September 2025 international window — a home friendly double-header against South Korea and Japan — was the squad's first proper assembly under Pochettino with the European-based regulars present. Results: 2-1 win over South Korea, 2-2 draw with Japan. The Japan draw was the strongest reference performance against a tournament-quality opponent in the Pochettino tenure.

World Cup history

The USA have appeared at 11 previous World Cups, including the inaugural 1930 tournament where they reached the semi-finals (third place, their best ever finish). They have qualified for ten of the last twelve cycles (missing only 1986 and 2018, both via final-stage failures). Best modern finish: quarter-finals at USA 2002. The 2022 cycle ended at the Round of 16 (3-1 loss to the Netherlands). 2026 is the second time the USA have hosted (after 1994) and the first as a co-host.

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