The USA will not win the World Cup in 2022, unfortunately for American supporters. A 3-1 loss at the hands of the Netherlands assured that much.

Of course, it was a young American team with just a handful of callbacks to the team that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. For instance, the USMNT was the second-youngest team at this year’s World Cup. Only Ghana, which exited in the group stage, had a younger side.

Therefore, the likes of Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and the other young starlets gained invaluable experience. That experience can come in handy in 2026. Then, these players will play a World Cup on home soil, a rare privilege for any player.

However, the question remains over whether or not the USA will ever win a World Cup. The signs for improvement in the squad are clear. The Stars and Stripes went toe to toe with England in the group stage, even if it was a draw. Plus, it got out of the group. That is something Germany, Belgium, Denmark and rivals Mexico cannot say.

At the same time, while the US shows progress, other, more soccer-centric nations, show as much, if not more, progress. France and England both fielded young squads at the 2018 World Cup. While France won, England finished fourth. The two sides poised to meet in the quarterfinals of 2022 are among the favorites and, yet again, each are in the top-10 youngest squads at this World Cup.

Can the USA win a World Cup in our lifetime?

Regardless, the potential and projections for this batch of American talent is something to celebrate. There are players at top clubs across Europe, and Major League Soccer continues to grow as it is.

Winning the World Cup is a tall task, particularly as only eight countries can say it won the competition in its history. On top of that, only nations from Europe and South America claim the honor. The farthest a North American team went was the United States, but that was before WWII when it finished third.

So, what say you? Can the USA actually win the World Cup in our lifetime? If so, what needs to happen for that dream to become a reality?

Guide to World Cup 2022

Here are some resources to help you get the most out of the biggest event in soccer!
TV Schedule: All the info on where and when to watch every game
The Groups: We breakdown each group and all the teams
The Kits: Check out what every team will be wearing on the field this fall
Predictor: Play out every scenario with our World Cup Predictor
World Cup Bracket: Map out the entire tournament, from the groups to the final