Alex Morgan, who earned two World Cup titles during her esteemed career with the U.S. women’s national team (USWNT), believes she can identify a team’s potential for success. Her views on the U.S. men’s national team’s (USMNT) chances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup could serve as valuable guidance for fans.
The tournament will occur across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, beginning this week. Morgan discussed her expectations on ‘SportsCenter’, suggesting that reaching the Round of 16 is a crucial milestone for the team. She asserted, ‘If we make it there and advance, that’s a huge success. If we make it there and don’t advance, it’s not a failure.’
She emphasized the importance of the team drawing on the experiences of 13 players who participated in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Those players, including star Christian Pulisic, previously reached the Round of 16 before losing to the Netherlands. Morgan highlighted the significance of harnessing past experiences to propel the team forward.
‘We’ve been here; we’ve done this before. Now, how can we continue to take this team even further?’
Christian Pulisic, in a conversation with Newsweek, articulated his vision of success for the World Cup. He shared, ‘I just want to look back with no regrets, knowing we gave everything as a team. Of course, we want to win the World Cup, but success isn’t about reaching a specific stage. It’s about leaving everything on the field and having no regrets.’
The USMNT hasn’t progressed beyond the Round of 16 since reaching the quarterfinals in 2002, where they were defeated by Germany. This remains their second-best World Cup outcome, following a semifinal run in 1930.
The team is set to begin its 2026 World Cup journey against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The match will take place on Friday night at 9 p.m. ET.