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The U.S. men's national team carried enormous expectations into the 2026 World Cup on home soil, only to be eliminated in disappointing fashion with a 4–1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16.
The tournament still offered meaningful moments of success that can serve as building blocks for the future, even if the final day proved disastrous for U.S. Soccer, both on and off the pitch. The humiliating defeat was preceded by controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's eligibility and the involvement of FIFA, the White House and President Donald Trump. It was one dreadful day capping a month that had largely been filled with optimism.
Here, Sports Illustrated breaks down the three biggest winners and three biggest losers from the USMNT's World Cup run that turned from a dream into a nightmare.
LOSER: Christian Pulisic
When the U.S., Canada and Mexico secured the bid to co-host the 2026 World Cup back in 2018, Christian Pulisic was already being heralded as the first generational superstar to emerge from the United States. While he reached impressive heights at Borussia Dortmund, claimed a Champions League title at Chelsea and enjoyed some early success with AC Milan, that form has never fully carried over to the USMNT.
Despite serving as the face of the team for nearly a decade, he has fallen well short of the standard set by legends like Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and other USMNT greats. This summer was his opportunity to carve out his own legacy, and he wilted under the brightest spotlight, finishing with just a single assist across four matches.
He showed glimpses against Paraguay and Bosnia and Herzegovina, yet he failed to leave any meaningful mark in the crucial match against Belgium, where an injury forced him from the field before the hour mark. There is a chance he was carrying a more serious injury than he disclosed throughout the summer, but it remains undeniable that he is in a slump, underperforming for the USMNT since opting out of the 2025 Gold Cup and enduring a miserable goalless run with AC Milan in the spring.
Pulisic will continue to be part of the USMNT for the remainder of his career; his quality warrants it. Yet his influence at age 31 in the 2030 World Cup and his dedication in the years leading up to it are still very much in question.
WINNER: Malik Tillman
Malik Tillman was among the few USMNT players who remained committed to the program throughout nearly all of Pochettino's tenure, playing a pivotal role at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, which helped earn him a move to Bayer Leverkusen and ultimately led to a standout performance at this summer's World Cup.
While he benefited from fortunate bounces on free-kick goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium, he established himself as the team's go-to option from dead-ball situations. He was reliable in his creativity and ability to generate chances in attacking midfield. He also consistently partnered with the underwhelming Weston McKennie in a midfield double pivot, offering solid hold-up play that allowed overlapping fullbacks to make runs before threading through balls.
Finishing the tournament with an assist and two goals, the 24-year-old has positioned himself strongly to become the USMNT's most influential player in the years ahead, with the next World Cup arriving when he will be 28.
LOSER: Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino did not have a full cycle to prepare for the World Cup and spent much of his first year and a half as manager trialing more than 80 players in search of his core group. By the time the tournament arrived, that core group had only truly been assembled since the March friendlies, which included two defeats to Portugal and Belgium.
At the World Cup, Pochettino benefited from the expanded format, becoming the first manager to lead the USMNT to three victories at a single World Cup, using the additional round of 32 to achieve it. His side predictably stumbled at the round of 16, the team's customary exit point since its quarterfinal appearance in 2002.
As promising as the USMNT appeared throughout the summer, it was evident they were outclassed against Belgium, with Rudi Garcia thoroughly outmaneuvering Pochettino tactically. After showing little growth or momentum in the final stage of their World Cup campaign, losing to Panama and Canada in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League semifinals and third-place match and falling to Mexico in the 2025 Gold Cup, there is little justification for keeping Pochettino on—particularly given what the federation pays him.
Job opportunities will be plentiful for the Argentine coach, but his World Cup performance has undoubtedly damaged his prospects for future international management roles. It would be a major surprise to see him return to the touchline for the USMNT's fall friendlies.
WINNER: Alex Freeman
Alex Freeman's emergence has been nothing short of remarkable. While he made a costly clearance error that gifted Belgium their opening goal in the round of 16, his performances throughout the group stage and against Bosnia and Herzegovina were genuinely impressive.
Deployed in a largely unfamiliar role within a back three for much of the tournament, yet still required to push forward in a wider capacity when the team won possession, the former Orlando City defender demonstrated his tactical awareness and ability to contribute in transition. He featured in all but 77 of the 450 minutes of USMNT World Cup action.
His finest moment came during the team's most complete performance of the tournament, a 2–0 victory over Australia in Seattle, where he netted the second goal by reacting quickest to a loose ball in the six-yard box and heading it home. That same match saw him complete four tackles and five clearances, highlighting the qualities he brings as a versatile defensive option.
As the youngest member of the squad, the 21-year-old has a promising future in the national team setup and could prove central to the USMNT's preparations heading into the 2030 World Cup.
LOSER: Matt Freese
The USMNT does not have an abundance of quality goalkeeping options. All three of Matt Freese, Matt Turner and Chris Brady ply their trade in MLS and are not considered among the league's elite shot-stoppers, yet they were clearly Pochettino's best available choices this summer. Freese, facing the highest-stakes test of his career against Belgium, delivered one of the worst individual performances of the tournament and committed the most costly error of his career on Hans Vanaken's goal.
On a broader level, the real casualty is the USMNT's goalkeeping situation as a whole, but in practice it came down to Freese's inability to be truly decisive in any of the matches this summer, as he had been at the 2025 Gold Cup—admittedly a far lower standard of competition than the World Cup.
Following his underwhelming displays, the goalkeeping competition is once again wide open, and Freese now carries a dismal performance in the team's most significant match in a generation on his record.
WINNER: American Soccer Fans
The full long-term impact of this World Cup may not be felt for years, but every sign points to it being a hugely successful tournament off the pitch, despite the deflating conclusion on it. Unlike the 1994 tournament, American fans genuinely understood soccer this summer. They embraced their national team, with viewership figures on Fox and Telemundo shattering previous records, including the more than 36 million viewers who tuned in for the round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A deeper run, even reaching the quarterfinals, would have done wonders for the sport's standing in the U.S. Nevertheless, the reality is that U.S. Soccer has never commanded as much attention as it has over the past few weeks, particularly given the reach of social media and the number of high-profile celebrities and personalities who rallied behind the team.
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Meanwhile, fans at the matches brought an extraordinary level of passion and adopted "Country Roads" as a rousing victory anthem, one that could easily become a lasting tradition for generations of supporters to come.
Where does all that enthusiasm go from here? There will certainly be fans gravitating toward televised matches, and given its widespread availability, the English Premier League stands to gain the most. However, MLS viewership could also see a boost among those who discovered a love for soccer in the U.S. this summer.