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The U.S. men's national team has gathered for the first time since this summer's 2026 World Cup, assembling for the extended September–October international window, which got underway on Monday.
The Americans have four autumn friendlies scheduled, the first being Saturday's matchup against Peru in Orlando; but before embracing the excitement of a fresh chapter, they must first reckon with the ghosts of their very recent history.
The USMNT departed the world stage in the most painful way imaginable. Mauricio Pochettino's side didn't simply suffer a narrow defeat in the single-elimination round of 16 — they were comprehensively dismantled 4–1 by Belgium on their own turf. The collapse unfolded in Seattle, home to one of the most passionate soccer fanbases in the country, and left Lumen Field, one of the loudest venues in the nation, in stunned silence.
It was as though every conceivable setback converged on that ill-fated Tuesday, and everything that could unravel did. The Stars and Stripes had actually entered the knockout stage as a slight favorite to advance, despite squaring off against a top-10 European powerhouse. That was how commanding the USMNT had looked in the buildup to the match, how much euphoric momentum the Americans had ridden in on, and how deeply the fans had embraced and believed in them.
What went so wrong in that crushing World Cup defeat, and what lessons can the USMNT draw from it to ensure history doesn't repeat itself?
Confronting the World Cup Round of 16
It took just nine minutes for Belgium to shatter American dreams, and even then, Charles De Ketelaere's opener had felt like it was only a matter of time. The USMNT was a shadow of itself from the first whistle, showing none of the intensity, fluid movement, or spatial intelligence that had characterized its campaign up to that point.
"If you go out of a World Cup, you don't want to go out like that," USMNT star Sergiño Dest tells Sports Illustrated, revisiting the humbling occasion in which he featured for the first half. "You want to go out, show that you gave everything, and that's not what we did."
The tactical shortcomings were soon compounded by individual errors. Goalkeeper Matt Freese fumbled a clearance that gifted Belgium its third goal. USMNT talisman Christian Pulisic caught an opponent's leg instead of the ball, crumpling to the ground in agony and needing to be substituted. Center back Chris Richards played the ball directly to a Belgian player just outside the box, allowing the visitors to add a fourth in the game's closing moments.
"Sometimes you just have these days when nothing works," Dest says. "It was one of those days."
But that doesn't mean you can simply shrug your shoulders and move on.
The 25-year-old continues: "You have to show character, and I feel like we just couldn't find the right spaces, the right chemistry, and the character was unfortunately not there at that match. It's a knockout stage, you have to be switched on every game. If not, it's going to be really hard."
It was a blur after the final whistle — a brutal conclusion to what was meant to be a historic run, one that condemned them to the same disappointing fate as previous World Cup campaigns.
"After that match, I don't even remember to be honest," he says, attempting to recall what Pochettino said during the team huddle. "I don't even remember. I remember that we went into a circle. We were thanking each other for the journey and sat there and prayed, but I don't even remember what the coach said anymore. It was a long time ago."
'Character'—Dest Defines the Solution
For Dest, "character" was the root of the problem against Belgium, and therefore, it holds the key to future success.
"That is definitely something we can learn from," he says.
The USMNT played with unwavering character right up until the round of 16, shaped by Pochettino's South American philosophy of high-pressing aggression and a team bond that drove players to fight for one another. When confronted with a world-class opponent, however, that character quickly evaporated.
While the USMNT won't encounter sides of Belgium's caliber this fall, they will face tough opponents who won't make things easy. Those matchups will provide the first real opportunity for the USMNT to put that "character" to the test.
After No. 50 Peru, the Stars and Stripes take on another South American opponent in No. 49-ranked Chile — a side they haven't defeated since 2000. Following that is fierce rival Mexico, a team the USMNT hasn't managed to beat under Mauricio Pochettino (2024–) and one that nearly eliminated eventual semifinalist England in the round of 16. The final fixture will also be no walkover, pitting them against a Canadian side brimming with confidence after a record-setting summer.
"We have to play in a lot of different cities against different opponents, but also, difficult opponents," says Dest, one of 28 players called into camp. "The opponents that you have to show that fire against, that character."
He adds, "We have to be locked in again, and we have to win these games."
Now is the moment for the USMNT to define what kind of team it wants to be: one that holds its character in the face of a stern test, or one that folds at the first sign of adversity.
Dest is one of only 13 returning players from the World Cup roster this fall. Pochettino is clearly intent on moving forward, and he'll be counting on Dest to help show the way.