5 Things We Learned From the USMNT’s Booming 2026 World Cup Group Stage | OneFootball

Is it time to panic after a last minute loss? Is Poch the savior of American soccer? We break down the biggest lessons from the USMNT’s 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.

Six points, three games, and a first-place finish. By and large, it was a great success for the United States men’s national team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. We break down the five biggest takeaways from the team’s stellar start and the “golden generation’s” biggest tournament to date.

1. America is a Soccer Country

Photo by Jorge Sanchez for Urban Pitch.

Never listen to anyone who tells you Americans don’t care about soccer. Are we a “proper footballing nation” by the standards of the game’s irritable gatekeepers? Maybe not. But we don’t need the centuries-old rituals or inter-generational fandom trauma to be a country that’s serious about the sport.

Over the past two weeks, I have personally witnessed a soccer fervor at a level that has previously never existed in this country, even for past World Cups. You could chalk it up to the U.S. being the major host of the tournament, but it feels like it goes far beyond the normal boost in soccer interest that comes every four years.

It’s not just gut intuition either. We can look to a major indicator for proof: the crowds, particularly the ones at the USMNT matches.

Both games at Los Angeles Stadium saw the stands literally shaking with fervent support. The post-match rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in Seattle was a rare instance of American soccer fandom that felt truly authentic and not like Euro cosplay.

It’s something that I’ve been preaching upon a soapbox for years. In order for soccer to truly resonate with the typical American sports fan, it needs to feel distinctly American. We shouldn’t aspire to fit into the standards set by this sport’s European governors, as the typical American gets annoyed at deferring to rules set by other countries. It’s possible to put our own twist on the beautiful game without fully bastardizing it.

Look at American culture as a whole: it’s an amalgamation of the countless communities from across the world that have called this country home. We’ve done it with spaghetti and meatballs, we can do it with soccer too.

Photo by Jorge Sanchez for Urban Pitch.

We can, and must, respect the sport and its history, but that doesn’t mean we can’t inject the USMNT and the American domestic league with its own distinct flair.

That brings us to the next step in this equation: MLS, USL and the entire group of leagues in this country. If they can all get out of their own ways and come together to truly build a serious soccer system, the sky is the limit for the interest behind the sport in America. This means building inroads with local communities, investing heavily in proper youth development, and spending money to attract top players from around the world. But alas, that’s a conversation for another day. For now, we can rest assured that there is a real passion for soccer in this country, and it feels like the normally fickle World Cup boost is gonna last this time.

2. The Kits are Incredible

Photo by Jorge Sanchez for Urban Pitch.

I’ll be honest, I waffled on these kits when they first leaked and subsequently released, especially the striped home kit. The wavy stripes were too much of a tromp l’oeil for me, and I thought they were too busy. Boy was I wrong.

Seeing the full kit in action on the pitch did a lot to change my opinion, but what really swayed me was seeing it on the fans. The home jersey went triple platinum and was by far the most common shirt worn at all of the USMNT’s group stage matches. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the best-selling kit out of all the World Cup jersey releases this year.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Upon seeing the jersey in person, you can appreciate the finer details of both designs. The particular shade of off-white Nike used on the home kit is particularly easy on the eyes, and the shading on the stripes provides an aesthetically pleasing touch of depth.

Playing foil to the home kit is the far more subtle starry away design, which unlike the home kit, didn’t take much time to grow on me. This is everything I love in a shirt: simple features with stunning details. The away kit wasn’t as popular amongst fans as the flashy home shirt, but it still slightly takes the edge for me.

But it doesn’t really matter which design is better. Both of these shirts could set a precedent for future U.S. kit designs. Just like the Netherlands have their classic Oranje, Brazil has the canary yellow, and Japan has the samurai blue, there have been calls to make the stars and stripes the signature look for the U.S. That would further strengthen the cultural identity of American soccer, thus in theory making us an even more serious soccer country.

3. In Poch We Trust

The USMNT manager position is not an enviable one. On one hand you have the weight of expectations: American exceptionalism carries over into everything, even the so-called niche sports. If we’re not the best, we don’t care.

On the other hand, you have a soccer federation that, to put it kindly, can be dysfunctional at times, and doesn’t always put the manager in the best position for success. Balancing the burden of expectation with the uncertainty of chaos isn’t a task I’d wish upon my worst of enemies.

Yet that’s where the USMNT manager often finds himself, and Mauricio Pochettino briefly got a taste of that in the months leading up to the World Cup. After a honeymoon phase following his hiring in 2024, fans started to turn on the Argentine manager, especially after a pair of less-than-stellar international friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in March 2026. Then, when reports leaked that Pochettino interviewed for the vacant AC Milan manager spot, many Poch detractors began to question his commitment to the team, with some even wanting him gone.

All of that criticism has seemingly disappeared three matches into the 2026 World Cup. Poch has built enough goodwill with fans and pundits to excuse all of the follies earlier this year, because he’s been able to do something that maybe no other USMNT manager has been able to do: he’s got the team playing attractive, dynamic soccer.

This Joga Bonito style was even on display at times in the team’s 3-2 loss to Türkiye. Aggressive pressing, quick passes, and creative playmaking combined with lethal set pieces is a stark contrast to the brand of soccer the U.S. is typically known for: brutish, physical, and gritty.

A lack of grit was the team’s biggest criticism in the Gregg Berhalter era, which featured little to no identity and mixed results. But Pochettino has his squad bought into his system, and outside of a handful of defensive lapses in an inconsequential game that featured mostly backups in the lineup, this is the best the USMNT has looked, maybe ever.

“For me, I can’t speak enough about how good of a coach he is,” said midfielder Brenden Aaronson after the Türkiye match. “He didn’t have to change nine to 10 guys (in the lineup), but he did because he believes in us. That’s what you want in a coach, is guys who believe in his players.

“He’s top and it’s really fun working under him.”

4. They’re Good, But Not Invincible

Through two games and the first five minutes of the third game, the U.S. looked infallible. It was pure dominance on both sides of the ball, and it looked like Pochettino had engineered a well-oiled soccer machine.

Then the cracks began to show. Defensive lapses and sloppy passing led to a Türkiye equalizer just minutes after Auston Trusty’s third-minute opener, and the U.S. found themselves trailing for the first time in the tournament after Barış Alper Yılmaz struck in the 31st.

The team responded well after halftime, and Sebastian Berhalter netted a screamer to square things back up just four minutes after the break. A 2-2 draw would’ve been a wonderful result for the team, who utilized a mostly rotated starting lineup and saw quality minutes from the likes of Berhalter and Christian Pulisic, who missed the second half of the Paraguay match and the entirety of the Australia game with a calf injury.

But they couldn’t close out the game, and allowed a match-winner in the dying seconds of extra time. You could call it unlucky, or say that six versus seven or even nine points doesn’t matter, but the truth is: this was the first time all tournament that the USMNT’s flaws stood out more than its strengths.

5. There’s Plenty to Be Optimistic For

Photo by Jorge Sanchez for Urban Pitch.

The loss feels like a blow to the momentum built over the first two matches, but there are still positives to take away heading into the knockout rounds. No. 1: the U.S. won the group, and will have a more favorable path in the chaotic do-or-die atmosphere moving forward.

No. 2: The Türkiye match saw a handful of USMNT players make their debuts in the tournament. Only Max Arfsten, Cristian Roldan, and third-string goalkeeper Chris Brady have yet to see the field in the World Cup, and the valuable minutes could prove crucial should bench players’ names be called.

However, the minutes played by bench players showcased perhaps the biggest flaw in this team: a lack of depth, specifically in the back line.

Chris Richards, Tim Ream, and Alex Freeman were solid if not stellar through the first two matches, but a back line of Trusty, Mark McKenzie, and Miles Robinson did not exactly look resolute. Trusty, who scored, was the strongest performer of the three, but he left the match with an ankle injury that looked pretty serious, although there have been no reports of how serious it actually was.

Timothy Weah was also unconvincing in his 57 minutes of action, and it’s clear that the team will have to lean heavily on Sergiño Dest, who was one of the anchors of a dynamic attacking front in the first two group stage matches.

All of this can be seen as a positive however. It can bring the U.S. back down to earth after a stratospheric start to the tournament, and it can re-focus the team ahead of the most important stretch of their careers. Starting with the round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, every mistake will be magnified, as will every moment of brilliance.

They’ve proven their mettle thus far, but the journey is just beginning.