IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Blake Dahlin
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group D - United States v Australia - Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington, U.S. - June 19, 2026 Chris Richards of the U.S. celebrates after the match
The 2026 FIFA World Cup could not have possibly gotten off to a better start for the United States Men’s National Team.
After a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their opening match, the USMNT downed a tough Australian team, 2-0, despite the absence of star player Christian Pulisic due to a calf injury. Those two wins, coupled with a pair of losses by Turkey, guaranteed that the U.S. will win Group D before even playing its final group stage match against the Turks.
So, how far can the USMNT ride this wave? Their best-ever finish in a World Cup came all the way back in 1930, when the United States played third at the inaugural tournament.
This time around, however, they have their sights set on an even bigger prize.
Chris Richards Believes There’s No Reason The USMNT Can’t Win The World Cup
Make no mistake, the United States winning the World Cup would be an upset of monumental proportions. But host nations making unexpected deep runs through the tournament is nothing new.
In 2002, South Korea made a stunning run to the semifinals before eventually finishing fourth, losing narrowly in the semifinals to Germany, 1-0, and then falling to Turkey 3-2 in the third-place match.
Which is exactly why U.S. center back Chris Richards, who won both the 2025 FA Cup and 2026 UEFA Conference League with English club Crystal Palace, is thinking big.
“I don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that we want to win it,” Richards said after beating Australia. “Obviously, we have a lot more games before we get to that moment, but you know, we take it one game at a time.
“We want to lift a trophy by the end of this.”
Meanwhile, USMNT captain Tim Ream said that this year’s team has a bond about it that he hadn’t felt in past editions of the World Cup.
“I’ve told these guys that this is the most fun, special, enjoyable group that I’ve been a part of,” Ream said.
“That’s not to say that other groups weren’t special, that other groups weren’t fun, that guys didn’t, you know, put in everything they possibly could. But there’s something about this one that just feels — it feels different.”
Somebody has to win the World Cup…why not us?