United States are one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup, and they’ll be hoping home advantage can inspire them to glory. The USMNT were knocked out in the last 16 in 2022, and have won just three of their past 15 World Cup matches.
But all eyes will be on the class of 2026 to see if they can make history and crown the United States as world champions.
Get all the latest United States stats as the tournament unfolds plus the latest squad, manager and fixture information for the North American side here.
USA route to the World Cup
With the USA being one of the co-hosts for next summer’s tournament, they haven’t had to qualify for the competition.
Instead, they have participated in the Gold Cup, where they reached the final before being beaten by Mexico, and a series of friendlies.
They’ve had mixed results in these friendlies, but things have improved recently, with Pochettino’s side beating Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay in their last three matches — the latter by a 5-1 scoreline.
USA World Cup 2026 fixtures
USA will open Group D against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12th, before taking on Australia in Seattle a week later. The Stars and Stripes will then return to California to complete their group campaign against Türkiye on June 25th.
READ MORE: Get the latest USA World Cup 2026 outright odds here
USA key players for World Cup 2026
USA top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Folarin Balogun
- Key stat: Folarin Balogun has scored three goals in his last five caps for the USA.
It hasn’t been clear which striker Pochettino prefers, with Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright currently battling it out for the starting spot. The fact that Balogun plays in a top-five league could set him apart, though Wright has been excellent for Coventry this season, while Pepi has won his starting spot back at PSV and is one of the most lethal finishers in Europe right now.
USA primary playmaker: Cristian Roldan
- Key stat: Roldan averaged 18.79 completed passes into the final third per 90 minutes in 2025, sixth among MLS midfielders with at least 50% of minutes played.
Roldan is one of only a handful of outfield players within the USA squad who plies his trade in MLS. Here, he has established himself as one of the premium playmakers, being the metronome for the Seattle Sounders as they qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs once again. He completed 61.54 passes per 90 with a pass-completion rate of 88.5%, ranking in the 96th percentile for pass volume and 81st percentile for accuracy across midfielders.
USA card magnets & top tacklers: Tyler Adams
- Key stat: Tyler Adams has collected 15 yellow cards in all competitions since the beginning of the 2024-25 season at club level alone.
Adams has established himself in the USA squad, following a really successful period for both Leeds and Bournemouth. He’s always been fond of a card, collecting 23 bookings and one red card since his arrival in England in 2022. That being said, he’s been a real force when it comes to tackling, making 40 tackles for Bournemouth in the 2025-26 Premier League season, at an average of 2.54 tackles per 90.
USA rising star: Cole Campbell
Campbell hasn’t made his debut for the USMNT, although he has been named in the squad previously. He started his career in Iceland before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2024. He’s made seven appearances for the German side, impressing with his strong dribbling, acceleration and agility. Campbell plays like a modern inverted wide forward who can carry the ball, beat defenders, cut inside and finish or create, and the 2026 World Cup could be his breakout tournament if he can pick up some more club minutes.
STAND-OUT STAT: USA have played more knock-out games than any team in World Cup history without ever playing in a penalty shootout (6).
USA set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Christian Pulisic
- Free kicks: Christian Pulisic
- Corners: Giovanni Reyna
USA tactical analysis and formation
USA team stats (average per game from last four matches):
- Corners: 5.75
- Shots on target: 5
- Shots on target conceded: 3
- Offsides: 2.25
Mauricio Pochettino has favoured a 3-4-2-1 formation in recent games, with plenty of rotation coming into play as he looks to determine his best eleven, particularly in attack, where Pochettino has used multiple options.
The midfield looks a little more settled, with Tyler Adams and Cristian Roldan looking to be the preferred pairing, while Chris Richards and Tim Ream appear to be mainstays in defence.
Get the latest USA World Cup goals, assists, shots, passes and tackle stats here
USA manager analysis
Argentinian boss Mauricio Pochettino has been tasked with delivering a successful World Cup for one of the host nations this summer and although he has never managed an international team before, he does have good pedigree from his spells with Chelsea, PSG and most noticeably Tottenham Hotspur
Pochettino has always favoured attack-minded football with high intensity, but he is flexible with his shape and you suspect the USMNT will be well-suited to adapt to the different challenges that will face them this summer. As a player he appeared at the 2002 World Cup with Argentina, memorably giving away a penalty in a 1-0 defeat to England.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauricio Pochettino | USA | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 59.09 |
USA World Cup FAQs
Have USA ever won the World Cup?
No, USA have never won the World Cup. Their best finish came at the 2002 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final before being knocked out by Germany.
Where did USA finish in the last World Cup?
USA were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup at the round of 16, where they were bested by the Netherlands by a 3-1 scoreline. They had emerged from Group B, finishing second to England but ahead of Iran and Wales.
Who will be USA captain at the World Cup?
There isn’t an officially named captain for the USA, but Tim Ream or Tyler Adams have been the players who have been handed the captaincy most in recent games. Christian Pulisic could also wear the armband.
Who is the USA’s top scorer at World Cups?
Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are tied for the most goals for the USMNT on 57 each, but Donovan managed five of those goals at World Cups to Dempsey’s four. Those five goals for the former LA Galaxy man came in the 2002 and 2010 editions of the tournament.
