Ready or not, here it comes. Only 100 days until the World Cup commences, and we’re in store for a tournament for the ages.
And there will be plenty of attention on the United States men’s national team, who are one of the three tournament co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico. There’s not much time left before the USA play their first match on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles. And there are some big questions still to answer for USA coach Mauricio Pochettino.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch
The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
[WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup]
Question No. 1 – USA’s World Cup Chances: How Far Can This Team Go?
Don’t underestimate the power of playing at home. Back in 2002, World Cup co-hosts South Korea — which had never so much as survived group play at any previous edition — stunned the tournament by reaching the semifinals. But there’s also pressure when hosting the greatest sporting tournament on earth: Who can forget Brazil’s shocking 7-1 elimination by eventual champions Germany in 2014?
Ahead of the World Cup, most pundits have the USA advancing no farther than the quarterfinals. That would both equal their best finish this century while also making some new history: now that the tournament has been expanded to 48 teams, the Americans must win two knockout games — something it has never done — just to reach the last eight.
Their star coach, who has had stints at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, has set the bar even higher.
“We need to believe,” Pochettino said when he was hired in late 2024, “that we can win the World Cup.”
Question No. 2 – USA’s World Cup Vibes: What Are They Right Now?
When we last saw the USA play in November, they had just smashed two-time World Cup champions Uruguay in a friendly. That 5-1 victory was their third straight win and fourth in five games — all against 2026 World Cup participants — to close out the year. Optimism was rife. That’s exactly how the Americans want to feel when they kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign.
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But building on those sky-high vibes could be tricky and there are some stern tests ahead. The USA will play two top-10 ranked teams in March, with Belgium and Portugal coming to Atlanta. Then it’s African champions Senegal in Charlotte on May 31 followed by Germany (another top-10 team) in Chicago on June 6 as the final preparation. Oh, all four teams will also be at the World Cup as well.
Those stern tests should help the USA be at its best when the games get real. Win a combo of those four and confidence goes through the roof ahead of the actual World Cup opener on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles. But that’s easier said than done.
Question No. 3 – Christian Pulisic’s Health: Is There Concern?
When the country’s most decorated attacking player asked Pochettino if he could skip last summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup — a request the fiery Argentine reluctantly granted — he said the break would help his body recover and allow him to perform at the height of his powers for this summer.
Sure enough, Pulisic began AC Milan’s season in career-best form. But his production and playing time fell off a cliff in early 2026 as he dealt with bursitis and a lingering hamstring issue; Pulisic has started just three of the Rossoneri’s eight games since mid-January, with no goals or assists through the first two months of this calendar year. (Pulisic remains the club’s top scorer this season.) The good news is AC Milan manager Maxi Allegri said last week the American headliner is on the mend and “will definitely get back to scoring.”
It’s safe to say that if the USA is to make a deep run this summer, it will depend on the status of its 27-year-old playmaker.
Question No. 4 – What’s the USA’s Biggest Weakness?
Every team has a weakness. For the USA heading into this World Cup, the biggest worries are regarding defense. Presumed starting goalkeeper Matt Freese, who plays for MLS side NYCFC, has made just 13 international appearances – all of them since last summer. That’s a far cry from the mid-2000s, when four grizzled Americans (Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, Brad Guzan) were Premier League regulars.
The backline also has questions. Center back and captain Tim Ream, who plays for MLS club Charlotte FC, will turn 39 later this year. Fullback duo Antonee “Jedi” Robinson (who plays at Fulham) and Sergiño Dest (now at PSV) have missed significant portions of recent seasons following knee surgeries. If Pochettino plays with three central defenders, it’s still unclear who would join Ream and Crystal Palace star Chris Richards in the middle. For all his promise, Alex Freeman, the breakout young star of 2025 who now plays at Villarreal in Spain, still lacks experience.
Add it up, and it’s fair to ask. Will the USA’s defense be up to the task this summer? Any successful run starts with preventing goals — something this team has struggled with at times last fall. In October, after the Americans came from behind to beat Australia — a team they’ll face again in Group D this summer — Pochettino was blunt.
“[At] the World Cup,” he said following that 2-1 win. “You cannot concede that type of goal.”
Question No. 5 – Pochettino’s Priorities: What’s the USA Coach Looking For?
Toward the end of his roller coaster first full year in charge of the program in 2025, Pochettino began repeating a similar mantra. “We don’t need the best players,” he said, taking a page out of 1980 “Miracle on Ice” coach Herb Brooks. “We need the right players.”
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Where does that leave someone like Weston McKennie? The Juventus star has emerged as one of the best midfielders in Europe this season, but who has been called in just once since the USA lost to Canada and Panama in the Nations League finals last March? McKennie has probably played too well for Juventus not to summon and start this summer, but it’s worth remembering that Pochettino has preached camaraderie above all else. He’s reminded his so-called regulars — a term he made clear he “hates” — that no spots are guaranteed.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” is another of Pochettino’s favorite quotes. So, don’t be surprised if there’s a surprise or two when he drops his final 26-man World Cup roster in May.
