The Gryphon Gazette

By Rikhav S. ‘26

The United States is known around the world as one of the best sporting nations, as they dominate internationally in sports like basketball and baseball, as well as in competitions such as the Summer and Winter Olympics. However, one sport that the US has never quite conquered on an international level is soccer. Throughout the nation’s history, the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) has been able to field some very competitive soccer teams, but they have always failed to reach the level of the top European and South American sides. This could now be on the verge of changing, as the new era of the USMNT is looking to build on their momentum from a solid World Cup 2022 performance. Looking ahead, the US could pose a major threat to other countries in the future, and their current roster seems to have what it takes to make a deep run in 2026.   

World Cup 2022 recap:

The USMNT entered the 2022 World Cup ranked #16 in the world. Coming into the tournament, one thing was for certain: The US needed to do well to make up for their embarrassment of failing to qualify for the previous World Cup in 2018. 

In a group that consisted of international superteam England, who were ranked 5th in the world, as well as 19th-ranked Wales and 20th-ranked Iran, the USMNT finished second place with 5 points from three games, securing a position in the round of 16. In the group stage, the USMNT started their campaign with draws to both Wales (1-1) and England (0-0). Their ticket to the knockout rounds came in dramatic fashion with a 1-0 win against Iran. This was huge for the nation, as they were able to survive a very competitive group. However, the US’s run in the World Cup came to an end shortly after, with a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands (a team that almost beat the eventual world champions, Argentina).

Overall, while some would have hoped for the US to make it deeper into the tournament, the country’s performance was widely viewed optimistically as a look into the future, and what was to come for the talented roster.

World Cup roster 2022 (players and the clubs they played for at the time of the World Cup 2022):

GOALKEEPERS (3)

Ethan Horvath – Luton Town (English Premier League)

Sean Johnson – New York City FC (MLS)

Matt Turner – Arsenal FC (English Premier League)

DEFENDERS (9)

Cameron Carter-Vickers – Celtic (Scottish Premiership) 

Sergiño Dest – AC Milan (Serie A)

Aaron Long – New York Red Bulls (MLS)

Shaq Moore – Nashville SC (MLS)

Tim Ream – Fulham FC (English Premier League)

Antonee Robinson – Fulham FC (English Premier League)

Joe Scally – Borussia Mönchengladbach (Bundesliga)

DeAndre Yedlin – Inter Miami CF (MLS)

Walker Zimmerman – Nashville SC (MLS)

MIDFIELDERS (7)

Brenden Aaronson – Leeds United (English Premier League)

Kellyn Acosta – LAFC (MLS)

Tyler Adams – Leeds United (English Premier League)

Luca de la Torre – Celta de Vigo (La Liga)

Weston McKennie – Juventus FC (Serie A)

Yunus Musah – Valencia (La Liga)

Cristian Roldan – Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)

FORWARDS (7)

Jesús Ferreira – FC Dallas (MLS)

Jordan Morris – Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)

Christian Pulisic – Chelsea FC (English Premier League)

Gio Reyna – Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)

Josh Sargent – Norwich City (Championship)

Tim Weah – Lille (Ligue 1)

Haji Wright – Antalyaspor (Super Lig)

Looking at the talent-filled USMNT roster: 

As one can see from the USMNT roster from the World Cup 2022, the squad was filled with very competent players, many of whom playing in some of Europe’s top leagues. And this has continued to be the case for the current USMNT side, as many of their players are performing at a very high level for their European clubs. 

Looking at the current roster, there have been some very notable, but positive changes. Starting with the biggest one of them all, the US has managed to acquire Folarian Balogun, a talented young striker who has switched his nationality from England to the US. Balogun understood that he would not be the starting striker for England, as The Three Lions are spoiled in that position with the likes of Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, and more. Balogun has recently joined Monaco from Arsenal FC following a 21-goal season on loan to Ligue 1 side, Reims. He is now the starting striker for the US and has already been scoring for the nation. Additionally, Christian Pulisic, the US’s best player, recently joined AC Milan from Chelsea, and is playing the best he has ever played at the club level this season. Pulisic is accompanied by his US teammate and midfielder Yunus Musah, who also joined AC Milan at the start of the season. Furthermore, it is important to highlight three USMNT players (Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman, and Ricardo Pepi) who are all playing an integral part in the incredible start to the season for their club team, PSV, as they have currently won all 16 of their games played in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie (top division). This is all a testament to the large amount of talent in the USMNT roster, and shows that this generation of US soccer is capable of becoming a force to be reckoned with internationally. The USMNT’s golden generation has already proven its success in CONCACAF (North, Central America, and the Caribbean), with recent wins in some major tournaments: CONCACAF Nations League (2021, 2023) as well as the Gold Cup (2021). The next step for the US to solidify their worldwide dominance will be their biggest test yet: World Cup 2026.

Looking forward to World Cup 2026:  

The USA has an automatic spot in World Cup 2026, as they are one of the competition’s host countries, along with Canada and Mexico. This tournament is set to be very interesting, with many narratives surrounding the countries that will enter it. With a US roster (currently ranked 12th in the world) that continues to improve with time, all signs are pointing towards an even better World Cup performance in 2026, than in 2022. The sky’s the limit for the US on its way to becoming an international powerhouse in world soccer.