The United States Men’s National Team’s inspiring run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended poorly, as the team did not give a good account of itself in a 4-1 loss to Belgium.
That means they will start working on the future immediately, starting with the unknown status of manager Mauricio Pochettino. Meanwhile, stalwarts such as Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun head back to their club teams while keeper Matt Freese deals with the disappointment of an embarrassing performance.
USMNT coach
In the immediate aftermath of the U.S.’s comprehensive 4-1 loss to Belgium, manager Mauricio Pochettino didn’t indicate what his future holds with the team. His contract is expiring, and while reports were that U.S. Soccer approached him about an extension before the tournament, he put off any decisions, just as he is now.
“Now is not a moment to talk about that,” he said at the postgame news conference. “I think now is a moment to see, to assess the tournament. You know, I’m sure that in the coming weeks we can start talking if [U.S. Soccer] wants to.
The Argentine Pochettino previously coached at the club level before taking over the USMNT in 2024. Before that, he had stints at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham, and there is speculation he could return to club soccer.
USA soccer what’s next?
The squad has not had any fixtures yet announced, but should have four matches in the next FIFA international window, which runs from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6. That will mark the start of the CONCACAF Nations League, a qualifier for the 2027 Gold Cup.
Beyond that, the U.S. will have to qualify for the 2030 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, which, for its federation, CONCACAF, begins in September 2027.
The U.S. will have to resolve its manager situation by then and assess who might be retiring, such as 38-year-old Tim Ream.
Christian Pulisic
U.S. star Christian Pulisic left the loss to Belgium with an ankle injury, the second of the tournament for the striker, who plays for AC Milan in the Italian Serie A.
Pulisic ended up without a goal in the tournament and had just one assist.
“I felt really good this summer with the guys and I thought my level was high,” Pulisic said. “Yeah, it’s disappointing. I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team.
“I’m disappointed with myself, of course, but I’m going to try to stay positive. I did a lot of good things and the team did as well.”
Folarin Balogun
The biggest controversy of the World Cup involved the U.S.’s leading scorer, Folarin Balogun, who received a red card in the win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then had the one-game suspension rescinded after American president Donald Trump called FIFA to request a review.
Belgium attempted to appeal the decision allowing him to play, but FIFA said Belgium lacked standing to appeal. UEFA, the European federation that Belgium is part of, said the ruling allowing Balogun to play “crossed a red line.”
His impact on the match against Belgium was minimal, though he drew the first-half foul that led to Malik Tillman’s free kick, which tied the match at 1-1.
“I accepted the decision when I was given the red card, and I accepted the decision when I was told I was allowed to play,” Balogun said. “I didn’t have any involvement in the process, and that’s not something that has anything to do with me personally.”
Matt Freese
U.S. keeper Matt Freese had a poor game, even without the howler that led to Belgium’s third goal, but that moment was pretty horrible.
With the US down 2-1 (and being dominated) in the second half, Freese came out of the 18-yard box, chested the ball down and tried to make a pass. But he either hesitated or stubbed his foot short of the ball, allowing Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere to block the clearing attempt.
The ball deflected right to Hans Vanaken, who, from long range, put the ball in the open net.
Freese was shocked afterward.
This hurts,” said Freese, who plays for New York City FC of the MLS. “This moment hurts more than probably any other moment in my life. But I know that this is a step in a longer journey, and I know that there’s big things to come from this federation and from this group.”
Tyler Adams
Often called the USMNT’s “unsung hero,” Adams was a catalyst for the U.S.’s World Cup run but was disappointed with the ending.
“I think again tonight was not a good performance probably overall, it’s not what we look to achieve,” Adams said afterward.
For the tournament, Adams completed 92% of his passes and logged 342 minutes of play. He plays for the English Premier League side Bournemouth.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What is next for USA soccer after 2026 World Cup run, flame out?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
