USMNT World Cup Hopes Fade After Brutal Losses To Belgium And Portugal
OutKick • • sports
Key Points:
- The US Men's National Team (USMNT) faces lowered expectations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after recent heavy losses to Belgium (5-2) and Portugal (2-0) in friendlies, raising concerns about their competitiveness.
- Manager Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged the defeats as a "good reality check," emphasizing the need for competitive games and cautioning against overconfidence despite hosting the tournament.
- Star midfielder Christian Pulisic stressed the importance of beating top teams like Belgium to advance, while Pochettino highlighted the US lacks players ranked among the world's top 100, unlike their recent opponents.
- ESPN ranks the US 22nd out of 48 teams in World Cup winning chances, with the squad's market value (356.7 million Euros) significantly lower than favorites like France (1.3 billion Euros).
- The USMNT has two more pre-tournament friendlies against Senegal and Germany to improve performance before the World Cup kickoff in Los Angeles.
