USMNT look ahead after World Cup journey ends in Seattle | OneFootball

By Ari Liljenwall

SEATTLE – Looking like a team on the rise is one thing. Becoming a true contender is another.

For much of this summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States looked every bit the former, winning Group D, dispatching Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 and carrying genuine momentum into a massive home-soil showdown with Belgium at Seattle Stadium.

While Monday's 4-1 Round of 16 defeat served as a sobering ending, veterans throughout the squad maintained that the progress made over the past month – both on the field and in connecting with supporters across the country – remains worth building upon.

"I think our initial reaction as a team was that in this moment we let [the fans] down, but I think altogether people gravitated towards the team because we were relatable and represented exactly what the US was," midfielder Tyler Adams said afterwards.

"Today wasn't a good day. You can analyze the performance, but the togetherness of the group and how we competed in large parts of the tournament was really good. ... Overall there are positives that we're going to take away."

Eye to the future

Similar to Adams, US captain Tim Ream's focus centered on what he hopes the team leaves behind more than the final scoreline.

"There’s boys and girls who were watching and being inspired, and I'm sure people will say it now is going to die down. But if you look at what we've done, I don't think that the conversation should die down," Ream said.

"I think it should be how incredible this journey has been with this group," added the Charlotte FC defender. "How can we keep the conversation going? How can we continue to inspire them now that the tournament is over?"

Monday's defeat was made all the more difficult to process because of how uncharacteristic it felt relative to the standard the USMNT established throughout the tournament, left back Antonee Robinson said.

The US earned that standard over the previous month, opening the tournament with a statement victory over Paraguay, defeating Australia to secure passage to the knockout rounds and then winning their second-ever World Cup knockout game.

"It was unlike any other performance we've had this summer, to be honest," Robinson said.

"It's hard to say where it went wrong. It just didn't feel like us out there today. We didn't win any individual duels, really. We looked like we lacked energy. We weren't as fluid as we have been."

Striker Folarin Balogun, who spent recent days at the center of attention after his red-card suspension was delayed ahead of the Belgium match, also emphasized the bigger picture.

"I know it hasn't ended the way we wanted it to, but I think you guys have all seen, in the process, we've definitely united the nation, and we've introduced a lot of people to the beautiful game," Balogun said.

"So, that's that's a huge positive not to be overlooked."