With less than a month remaining before the United States opens its World Cup campaign, there is still major uncertainty surrounding what version of United States men’s national soccer team fans can expect under Mauricio Pochettino. Defeats against Belgium and Portugal raised plenty of concerns ahead of the showdown with Paraguay in Los Angeles.

What do the experts think of the USMNT’s chances at the 2026 World Cup

Pochettino’s promise that the United States can become world champion now feels far-fetched. Several experts and former USMNT stars, including Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Alexi Lalas and Taylor Twellman, have shared their predictions.

“It’s a huge opportunity, especially for many players to introduce themselves to the world. I think the sky’s the limit for this team,” Lalas said recently, before adding: “I’m not worried about Christian Pulisic because I know he’ll deliver when the moment comes.”

Donovan, one of the greatest legends in USMNT history, believes the team has the talent to produce a historic World Cup run. However, more than the results themselves, he is concerned about the squad’s health after a series of injuries. Johnny Cardoso and Patrick Agyemang were already ruled out through injury.

“As a fan of the United States national team, you want this group to stay healthy, to have all the stars playing together, and then hope they can make a deep run,” he said recently in an interview with Athlon Sports.

Dempsey, meanwhile, is beginning to lose faith in Pochettino. The former Fulham F.C. player does not like what he sees as contradictions from the Argentine coach, who went from saying the United States could win the World Cup to later claiming the country lacks a true soccer culture.

“I don’t think there’s any need to say those kinds of things. What you need is belief in your team, to give them confidence, and I don’t think that helps the squad at all,” he recently told Men in Blazers.

USMNT to qualify for the knock-out stages

There is broad agreement that the United States will advance from the group stage, reflecting a high level of optimism around the team. Most believe reaching the quarterfinals is a realistic dream.

Twellman was even more critical, arguing that anything less than a quarterfinal appearance should be viewed as a failure. Donovan, on the other hand, believes that even if the U.S. fights hard and is eliminated by one of the tournament favorites in the Round of 16, the campaign could still be considered a success.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.