Was USA's World Cup a success? Belgium defeat sees USMNT fail to grasp generational opportunity in Round of 16

The United States had a massive opportunity to electrify the U.S. soccer fanbase and awaken a new generation of supporters at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

With wins over Paraguay and Australia in the group stage, the USMNT topped its group and secured a strong position in the knockout bracket. They dominated their Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina to secure their first knockout win at a World Cup since 2002.

Then, with a massive chance to truly make a statement and prove they can compete with the global elite, the U.S. men fell flat on their faces, losing 4-1 to Belgium as they were completely and utterly dominated from start to finish.

The Sporting News assesses whether this World Cup can be considered a success and what constitutes improvement moving forward.

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Was USA's World Cup a success or a failure?

This is, obviously, a complicated question. But given the manner in which the U.S. suffered its Round of 16 defeat and the opportunity left on the table, it has to be concluded that this World Cup was more of a failure than a success. The team hauled itself right to the doorstep of true triumph and then fell apart at the decisive moment.

Despite what the players and coaches said going into the tournament, the USMNT was not out to win the World Cup. On home soil, the United States was simply hoping to show it had experienced significant growth over the past four years, and that the most talented team in United States men's soccer history could elevate the sport in this country from a sleeping giant to a roaring beast.

Soccer in the United States has grown over the past decade, but only slowly. A historic World Cup performance against a strong European team could have finally brought this nation over the hump, not only from a competitive perspective but from an emotional standpoint as well. Instead, the U.S. was not only beaten, but beaten comprehensively.

Soccer has largely been seen as someone else’s game, and it will likely take a strong World Cup performance by the U.S. men to fully crest the hurdle and make fans in this country feel like they belong — almost giving the casual, once-every-four-year supporters permission to follow the sport more religiously, because there’s hope of a positive payoff at the end of the tunnel.

MORE: Projecting the USMNT roster at the 2030 FIFA World Cup

On Monday, this USMNT team had exactly that opportunity, and they royally fumbled it. As Roger Bennet of Men In Blazers put it immediately after the full-time whistle, "it was like a fairytale, like Cinderella, the beautiful carriage turning into a pumpkin of human agony."

There was so much promise on this year's USMNT, so much talent, and so much excitement...and in the end, they fell on their faces right at the same point they always do — the Round of 16. In the end, they achieved no tangible growth, and no conceivable history was made.

A World Cup on home soil only comes around once in a lifetime. That's the cruel beauty of the World Cup — legends are made, but legacies are also shattered, because you get one shot. If you blow it, there are no re-do's. That's it, the book is written. For these players, their fates are sealed. Some of them may get another chance in 2030, but the team will look very different. Christian Pulisic, for example, will be 31, well past his prime he's currently in. In many ways, it will be up to other players to grasp the future of this federation.

So, while reaching the Round of 16 will prove that this team remains a competitive side amongst the global soccer landscape, the U.S. failed to grasp the enormous opportunity in front of them. They failed to prove to the thousands — maybe millions — of potential lifelong soccer fans that the repetition of heartache that comes with being a sports fan is worth it.

There was too much investment, too much talent, too much hype, too much promise for them to end up exiting the World Cup in the same place they always do. The USMNT failed to grab a home World Cup by the horns, and the opportunity has been lost.

MORE: Matt Freese's disaster leads to third Belgium goal

USMNT pre-World Cup expectations

Before the World Cup, the minimum expectation was for the United States to reach the Round of 16.

From there, it was obvious that whoever they played at that stage, there would be an opportunity to be grasped against an opponent of a greater standing than the United States.

At that point, in the Round of 16, it would be the manner of the result which would determine whether the tournament was a success. They did not need to win, but to prove they were competitive.

USMNT World Cup history 

The United States has competed in 12 different World Cup tournaments throughout their soccer history.

They were invited to participate in the first-ever World Cup, where they finished third, still their best World Cup finish to this day. However, their best result at a modern World Cup came in 2002, when they reached the quarterfinals for the only time in the current format of the tournament, beating Mexico for their only-ever Round of 16 victory.

USMNT record under Mauricio Pochettino

In the immediate aftermath of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Soccer federation will now turn its attention to filling the head coach void.

Mauricio Pochettino's contract with the USMNT is set to expire at the conclusion of the World Cup, and they will hope to convince him to stay on another four years. That is expected to be a tall task, and if he does decide to move on, they will have to find an apt replacement.

At the helm of the United States, Pochettino coached 31 matches in charge, winning 17 while drawing two and losing 12. That gives him a win rate of nearly 55%, which is impressive albeit not overwhelmingly strong.

Indeed, Pochettino meant more to this team than just the sheer wins and losses, as his tactical plan and football acumen filtered throughout the federation and set the U.S. up for future long-term success in a way no coach has before.