This summer, the USMNT will face what is likely the biggest challenge in its history. As the main host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the team will aim to deliver a performance that satisfies its fans—something Christian Pulisic reflected on.
“The team’s in a good place. People should be excited and hopefully ready to cheer us on,” the forward said in a recent interview with Reuters. “I know the energy in the stadiums is going to be great. We want to take as much of that as we can, take that motivation and push to make the American people proud.”
The USMNT will compete in Group D. They will open their campaign on June 12 at SoFi Stadium against Paraguay, before traveling to Seattle a week later to face Australia. Their group-stage run will conclude on June 25, back in California, against Turkey.
Pulisic later expanded on why he believes American fans should be excited about the USMNT, attributing it not only to their role as hosts but also to the team’s quality. In fact, when asked whether this is the best U.S. team he has been part of, the forward responded: “I think you could say so.”
Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the USMNT.
Regarding the strengths of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, Pulisic was clear. “Looking at the guys playing at the highest levels and doing extremely well at their clubs, and I think for sure you have a really, really strong squad and depth as well,” said the AC Milan star.
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The USMNT’s growth in recent years
It is no coincidence that Pulisic pointed to his own form and that of his teammates as key factors behind this USMNT potentially being stronger than in previous years. The vast majority of players currently in the squad—and likely to be part of Pochettino’s final 26-man roster—are playing in Europe.
This trend of increasing European-based players and fewer from Major League Soccer has been growing with each World Cup. After the league’s creation in 1996, the USMNT brought 16 MLS players out of 22 to France 1998.
That number has steadily declined over the years. This is not necessarily due to a drop in MLS quality—which has become increasingly competitive—but rather because top American players are in higher demand across the global soccer market.
In fact, in Pochettino’s most recent USMNT squad for the March FIFA international break, only nine of the 27 called-up players currently play in MLS. This includes all four goalkeepers, meaning the number of domestic-league players seeing time on the field is even lower. The remaining 18 players are all based in Europe.
Pulisic motivated by the World Cup
After the USMNT’s absence from 2018 World Cup in Russia, Pulisic played his first FIFA tournament at Qatar 2022, where he started all four matches before the team’s elimination in the Round of 16 against the Netherlands. Now, he will have another opportunity—and he understands what it means.
“A World Cup is enough motivation in itself and having it in the U.S., having my family and close friends there, there’s just nothing more you can ask for,” Pulisic told Reuters. “Representing the U.S. and being able to wear that crest, I don’t take it lightly.”
