The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of The USMNT At The FIFA World Cup

The USMNT's World Cup journey presented a mixed performance, highlighting both significant strides and areas for growth. The team achieved a historic milestone by winning its group for the first time since 1930, securing impressive victories and advancing past the Round of 16 against Bosnia. However, their campaign concluded with a disappointing 4-1 quarterfinal loss to Belgium, a result described as a "nightmare" that underscored the team's current distance from the global elite. While Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman delivered standout performances, Christian Pulisic's tournament was marred by injuries and a lack of goals. This outcome serves as a "sobering reminder" that despite a "Golden Generation," the USMNT still faces challenges in competing with top-tier European and South American squads, leaving Coach Pochettino's future uncertain.

The FIFA World Cup is the ultimate barometer for many teams, reminding them just how they are in the planet's soccer order.

For the U.S. Men's National Team, it was a sobering reminder just how far it needs to go to join the world's elite.

The Americans can take plaudits for making some history by winning their group for the first time, recording three victories in

On the flip side, however, the USA could not get past the Round of 16, being outplayed and embarrassed by Belgium in a 4-1 defeat at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Before the World Cup kicked off, many soccer pundits, media, and fans thought a reasonable finish in the tournament would be reaching the quarterfinals, but the U.S. fell short for the fourth time in five attempts (2010, 2014, 2022, 2026). The team failed to advance from its group in 2006.

The last time the U.S. reached the quarterfinals was a generation ago, at the 2002 World Cup. The team defeated archrival Mexico in the Round of 16, 2-0, before falling to Germany in the quarters, 1-0.

It also should be noted that all three co-hosts - Mexico, Canada and the U.S. - were eliminated in the Round of 16.

No one saw it coming. Not only did the Red, White and Blue qualify for the knockout round by winning its first two matches, it also captured the Group D title. The only other time it happened? At the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.

The Americans rolled to an impressive 4-1 triumph over Paraguay in its opener before taking down Australia, 2-0. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino decided to rest virtually all of his regulars (including four key players with yellow cards) in what was essentially a meaningless match against Türkiye in the finale. The U.S. lost on the final kick of the game, 3-2. It wasn't the end of the world.

The team continued its fine performance with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round 16, an encounter marred by a controversial red card on forward Folarin Balogun while he was battling for the ball with Tarik Muharemovic. The U.S. played the final 26 minutes of regulation and stoppage time a man down, but showed its maturity by not falling apart and adding a late goal.

What an eye-opener. After such a promising start, the Americans could do very little right against the Belgians in the Round of 16. They lost their spark, playing tentatively and were slow to the ball, particularly on defense. That allowed Belgium to strike first in the ninth minute, the first time the USA failed to score the opening goal. The hosts equalized in the 31st minute but committed the No. 1 cardinal sin of soccer, allowing an opponent to score just after their goal. For the record, it was 61 seconds later and broke the U.S.'s back.

Still within striking distance, goalkeeper Matt Freese, who had a decent World Cup entering the match, gave away the ball when he ventured out of the penalty area in the Charles De Ketelaere knocked the ball away from him and Hans Vanaken had an easy time drilling a shot into the empty net into the lower right corner for a 3-1 advantage. That was another back-breaking moment.

“We didn’t get into the game. Even when we scored the goal at 1-1, we conceded in the next action,” head coach Mauricio Pochettino said. "It was very tough. Congratulations to Belgium, they were better than us. It's not to find excuses, we didn't show what we normally showed. That is the reality."

It was the most goals the U.S. conceded in a World Cup match since the 5-1 loss to Czechoslovakia in 1990.

The bottom line: The U.S., with this so-called "Golden Generation" of players, is not ready to play evenly or defeat the European elite teams, and most likely the best of South America (Argentina and Brazil). That is quite surprising because many USMNT players perform in top leagues across the Atlantic Ocean (Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1) against the world's best.

"That just didn't feel like it was us out there today," defender Antonee Robinson said. "We didn't win any individual duels. We looked like we lacked energy. We looked like we weren't as fluid as we have been."

“I don’t think we had a good game today, collectively,” Balogun said. We played well in the other games. We were very intense, we were able to generate energy with the crowd, and today we didn’t give the crowd a lot to cheer for. That's the most disappointing thing and that's the part that hurts the most for me personally. We have to wait four years again to be in this position, which is hurtful again."

Separating the Belgium debacle from the rest of the tournament, several U.S. players enhanced their reputations. Their market values rose considerably during the World Cup, and it would not be surprising if European teams sought after their services with lucrative contract deals.

Balogun topped the list. He connected twice in the opener and finished with a team-high three goals, the second-best production from an American forward since Bert Patenaude finished with four goals in the 1930 World Cup.

The 25-year-old forward wound up in the middle of a controversy due to the red card he received against Bosnia. It appeared Balogun should have been awarded a yellow card. But after the Video Assistant Referee and then referee Raphael Claus intervened, he was ejected. The expulsion also meant he would have to sit out the U.S.'s next match - against Belgium.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee, however, citing a rare rule, allowed Balogun to be eligible to perform in the Round of 16, while he was put on probation for a year. When President Trump revealed that he had spoken to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, it raised major concerns in many quarters about politics rearing its ugly head and the possibility of back-room deals being made.

Balogun started against Belgium and was far from a difference-maker.

“I mean, for me, I accepted the decision when I was given the red card, but then I also accepted the decision when I was told I could play,” Balogun said. “There’s not too much else I can say on the matter.”

Before the World Cup, the big question mark was whether Richards could be healthy enough to start as he recovered from an ankle injury. He did, and the center back became the USA's best defender. It was easy to lose count of how many dangerous crosses and balls Richards headed out of harm's way. He teamed with Tim Ream in the middle of the defense as they acquitted themselves well before the Belgium disaster.

With the media, he is quiet and unassuming. On the field, Malik Tillman was brilliant. Not known as a goal-scorer, Tillman entered the tournament with three goals in 30 international matches. He left it with five, thanks to a pair of marvelous free kicks. The 24-year-old midfielder gave the Americans some much-needed breathing room with his late goal against Bosnia and drilled a 25-yard free kick to knot things up against Belgium in the 31st minute on Monday night.

He became the first player in a World Cup to score goals off consecutive free kicks in a World Cup after France's Bernard Genghini did so in 1982.

Everyone was poised for a big tournament by Christian Pulisic. Considered the best player of his generation, if not the best American ever, Pulisic did not live up to the hype or expectations. Injuries did not help.

Pulisic, who has tallied 33 goals in 90 international appearances, did not score in this tournament. In eight World Cup matches, he has only one goal, in the 1-0 win over Iran in Qatar in 2022.

He owned the left wing in the Paraguay rout before being forced to the sidelines at halftime with a calf injury. After sitting out a game, he returned for a cameo role off the bench against Türkiye. He started and played well against Bosnia but was a non-factor vs. Belgium, particularly in the first half. He limped off in the second half with a twisted right ankle.

While shooting on goal in the 52nd minute, he suffered the injury when he hit the boot of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans.

"I felt really good this summer with the guys, and I thought my level was high," Pulisic said. "It’s disappointing I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to get over this next step of beating a really good team."

As fine a player as Pulisic is, his career has been hampered by many injuries.

After the Belgium loss, Pochettino said it was too early to talk about his future with the USMNT. His contract runs through the World Cup.

Pochettino's representatives have been talking to U.S. Soccer about a possible contract extension.

Outside of French head coach Didier Deschamps, who has guided the team to the 2018 World Cup championship and into the 2022 final and has the side on course to reach this year's final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, only a handful of coaches have done well in their second term.

* Bruce Arena guided the U.S. to a quarterfinal finish in 2002, but the team did not get out of its group in 2006.

* Bob Bradley directed the Americans into the 2010 Round of 16, but was fired by then U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, who preferred Jurgen Klinsmann as head coach.

* Klinsmann coached the USA to the Round of 16 in 2014 but was fired after an abysmal start to the 2018 qualifying campaign. Arena took over, but the U.S. did not reach the World Cup in Russia.

* Gregg Berhalter led the USMNT to the 2022 tournament as the team reached the Round of 16 yet again. He was fired after the Americans failed to get out of their group at Copa America in 2024.

Michael Lewis, the sixth recipient of the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award in 2025, can be followed on Bluesky at @Soccerwriter. His 10th soccer book, Around the World Cup in 40 Years: An American sportswriter’s perspective, has been published.