How the U.S. Lost the World Cup—and Won Over the World

By the time Spain or Argentina lifts the World Cup trophy on Sunday, the U.S. men's national team will have been out of the tournament for 13 days.

In that regard, the 2026 World Cup has been a head-shaking failure—especially to the fans in star-spangled jerseys who hopped on the bandwagon only to be violently thrown off a few days later. The Americans squandered a generous draw, a high-price coach and a golden opportunity to capture a new generation by blowing their shot at a first quarterfinal in 24 years.