Why the USA is not yet a favorite for the 2026 World Cup: Analyzing the USMNT's problems and obstacles

Journalist Doug McIntyre, who has covered U.S. soccer since 2002, sees the United States' path to becoming a World Cup favorite. 2026 is quite steep. Even in the best conditions the team creates a jump. Development during the tournament And luck was on my side. If the United States can make it to the quarter-finals. It is considered successful according to his opinion. Because if you have to go further than that "Everything has to be in order and you have to play well." History of work is something that must be acknowledged. The United States is currently 16th in the FIFA men's rankings and has never surpassed the world's elite over the past several decades. Since 1990, the men's national team has made it to the finals eight times, but has made it past the knockout stages only four times, and has won only one knockout at the World Cup in 2002, a 2-0 win over Mexico to advance to the quarterfinals. The 2026 World Cup mission is further complicated by the changing competitive environment. The United States' Group D consists of Türkiye, Paraguay and Australia. Turkey has players like Hakan Calhanoglu and Arda Guler who make the game more difficult. The United States lost 1-2 to Türkiye in a friendly match last year. Meanwhile, warm-up results against Paraguay and Australia were 2-1 wins for the United States in 2025. Another important factor is the tournament's format, which will expand to 48 teams in 2026 instead of the previous 32-team format, increasing the knockout round to a 32-team round before reaching the round of 16. This means that if the United States wants to reach the quarter-finals, the team will need to win two knockout matches, unlike in 2002 when they had to win just one. Player quality Although the quota for players playing in Europe has increased — coach Mauricio Pochettino called up 26 players and 17 then play in Europe, with 12 playing in one of Europe's top five leagues — the problem is that U.S. players have yet to cement their place at top-tier clubs. Weston McKennie, for example, has done well at Juventus, while Christian Pulisic has moved on to AC Milan, but both clubs are still struggling to qualify for Europe's top tier. The root of the problem lies in the fact that investment in youth structures has begun to lag behind in Europe. MLS only emerged after the 1994 World Cup and the club's academy system It began to gain strength in earnest in the mid-2000s, while some European clubs had youth systems that lasted decades. Going to Europe at such a young age, as Pulisic did in 2015, is a route that is limited to players who can move according to FIFA regulations. In addition, the system pays to play. Pay-to-play in the US is still a big obstacle. Some gifted children may drop out of the system because of high costs. Meanwhile, a results-focused culture at the youth level may suppress a player's creative skills. Finding a group of players from disadvantaged areas is still a problem that needs to be solved. For Pochettino's team control He has spent the past two years managing the US national team, recording 24 games: 13 wins, 2 draws, and 9 losses. The team was eliminated from the Nations League by Panama in the semi-finals. and lost to Mexico in the 2025 Gold Cup final despite calling on many new players. Pochettino, who has excelled at club level with Tottenham and PSG I admit that I have been contacted by various clubs. But confirmed that he intends to contract with the association until the end of the World Cup. However, it is reported that he met with AC representatives. Milan is the subject of coverage in the media. All in all, although the US has a growing base for the sport and more players playing in Europe. Being a favorite for the 2026 World Cup is still limited by history of performance. Youth development structures that are not yet comprehensive and more difficult tournament formats A realistic and realistic goal for US fans is to advance to the quarter-finals, if all goes well and the team actually improves during the tournament.