Altidore, who decided to call it a career in 2023, continues to stay up to date with the beautiful game, especially in the US. Recently, he’s been particularly attentive to Leagues Cup action, as the tournament renewed the MLS-Liga MX rivalry with a new format.

In his interview with Bolavip, Jozy analyzed Inter Miami’s early elimination, as well as the upcoming quarterfinal clashes. And, of course, we also had time to analyze the 2026 World Cup, among other subjects.

Jozy Altidore analyzes the 2026 Leagues Cup group stage

Bolavip: Jozy, let’s talk about the Leagues Cup. Now that the knockout stage bracket is set, what did you think about the new group stage format?

Jozy Altidore: I loved it. I really loved it. I loved that the MLS teams were challenged to go now and play in Mexico and experience these environments where football is life. And I thought, when I saw Toluca, the way they received Seattle, I loved it. I loved the passion of the fans. I loved to see what it meant to them. And at the end of the day, it’s an international prize, which is very, very important to both sides. And I think you’ve seen that with how the tournament has taken place.

Bolavip: You mentioned before the tournament how Inter Miami were favorites, because of course, they have a star-studded team, with Lionel Messi and so on. But it turned out to be quite different for them without Luis Suarez and Messi only starting the first game. What else do you think explains their early elimination?

Jozy Altidore: Well, first, before anything, un gran abrazo a Lionel Messi (a big hug to Lionel Messi). He’s going through something incredibly difficult. And I think for Miami, it’s difficult. When you have your captain, you are… you know, Messi is Messi. One of one. And him not being able to be a part of it for a lot of things…

So I think this year, you have to give a little bit of a pass to Inter Miami. I think they had a lot to deal with, with the passing of his father and him not being able to be the protagonist that Inter Miami needs. So I think that was quite difficult for them. But I think in any other year you would pick Inter Miami to be one of the teams in the last rounds of the tournament. So, I think there was a struggle there for them.

But again, this struggle created a new opportunity. And I think you saw that with teams like Austin FC and Real Salt Lake. I think they took the opportunity to pick up points and find themselves now in the last few rounds playing against some very big teams. So I’m very excited to see how these next matchups on August 25th and 26th take place in the quarterfinal.

Bolavip: Despite this setback for Inter Miami, do you see them as favorites to repeat their MLS Cup title or do you see other threats in the league?

Jozy Altidore: Yeah, I see other threats. But I think the season is a different animal because it’s a long season with the playoffs. So, it’s all about making sure at the right time the team is able to perform at the right level. And I think Inter Miami, with everything that they’ve had to deal with this summer, I’m sure they’re going to start to put it behind them and start to put together better performances now leading into the playoffs.

But football is a funny game. You never say never. And although I think they’re the favorites, anything can happen. We’ve seen Vancouver last year, we’ve seen them already this year performing very well. So I think anything can happen still.

Bolavip: Before the Leagues Cup started you also mentioned Club America as the Liga MX candidate, right? I guess that remains unchanged.

Jozy Altidore: Yeah, I’m 50/50 in my picks. [Laughs] And Club America, I mean, it’s no surprise. I think Club America is one of the biggest teams, if not the biggest team in North America, Central America. And, you know, we see when they play, the fans are traveling to support them. So I think it’s a strong team with a very good, competitive roster, and then they have the fan support as well. So I think they remain one of the more dangerous teams that are left in the draw.

The Chicago Fire’s promising direction under Gregg Berhalter

Bolavip: You also mentioned Real Salt Lake and Austin, but with Miami out, do you see the Chicago Fire, with Robert Lewandowski and a great team, as the strongest MLS candidate to win the Leagues Cup now?

Jozy Altidore: Listen, they’ve won three out of three games. I think Lewandowski is getting more comfortable. They have a good team. They have a good team, they play good football. I think Gregg Berhalter is a good manager. And I think he’s done very well in getting his team to be competitive and play in a clear way with the ball and without the ball.

So I’ve been impressed with Chicago, not only in the Leagues Cup with how they’ve taken in Gregg Berhalter’s ideas. And then, Chicago’s building the stadium. I really like Chicago not only for now, but over the next three, four years, I think it’s an organization that is doing the right things, and it’s gonna be one of, in my opinion, one of the better performing ones. At least we hope so, because of the market, because of what they’re doing to transform that club.

Bolavip: Chicago made a big decision by selling Hugo Cuypers to Monterrey after Lewandowski arrived. What do you think of that decision and how do you see these strikers? Because it will be the main storyline of this quarterfinal clash, right?

Jozy Altidore: Yeah, it’s gonna be interesting. I mean, Cuypers playing his old team, and I don’t know what the situation was there, you know, if they told him he had to leave with Lewandowski coming, I would have imagined they could have played together. But understanding a number nine, sometimes you have to think about what’s best for you. So I understand his decision. And I can’t wait to watch. I urge the fans to make your way to SeatGeek Stadium. Please get out there, watch these games. I think the storyline is going to be really, really cool. And I’m excited to see kind of how they match up against each other.

Bolavip: You recently mentioned Berhalter was a great coach, what do you remember of his tactical vision and how do you see his job in Chicago so far?

Jozy Altidore: Yeah I think, one of the things I’ve always liked about Gregg Berhalter is he wants to play with the ball. He wants to play football. His teams, he wants them to play football. And I think that’s the way, right? That’s the way football needs to be played. The formation he sets, his principles, I think they’re all quite good.

So I’m excited to see now how he plays against Monterrey, which I think is going to be a tougher team than they’ve played. But I think he has all the ability to set up his team tactically to win that game. And then obviously with Lewandowski as your number nine, if you feed him, he will score. So I like Chicago and what they’ve been able to do up to this point, but I think Monterrey will be their toughest test so far.

Mauricio Pochettino’s job with the USMNT

Bolavip: Gregg coached the US Men’s National Team for many years before this experience, and now Mauricio Pochettino has extended his USMNT contract. What do you think about this decision?

Jozy Altidore: Estamos contigo Poch, estamos atrás de ti. Tienes nuestro apoyo. (We are with you, Poch, you’ve got our support). I love Pochettino, I’m a big fan. You know, obviously I have history, we played against each other back a long time ago and then to see him really welcome what it is to be the coach of the US Men’s National Team, the culture, and to do the work, right? It’s not easy.

There’s a lot of work that had to be done and he welcomed that work. And I think it was a job well done. And I think he kind of helped the federation, the players see that there’s still another level that we have to grow to. So, I’m excited to have Poch. I hope he stays for as long as possible. And then that he can build a team that’s really competitive for 2030, whether he’s there or no, because you know, football is crazy.

But having Pochettino work with our federation, work with our young players, help us plant the seeds on how we move forward, I think is invaluable. And so I’m very thrilled that he’s staying with us a bit longer.

Bolavip: How far or how close do you think the US Men’s National Team is from other top teams? The World Cup was a bit bittersweet in that sense, right?

Jozy Altidore: Yeah, it was difficult, you know. And I use the word ‘fracaso’ (failure). It was a ‘fracaso’ to me, not because the players had a bad tournament, the players had a great tournament. But in the manner we lost that game, when I’m sure the players know that they are capable of much more, it was a bit of a shame, right?

And so I think the biggest thing though is, we have to continue making steps with the national team, but also our youth teams, you know? You can’t just win a World Cup overnight, right? It has to start from the youth. And are we competitive in the Youth World Cups? Are we constantly in the last four, in the last eight of the youth tournaments? Because I think those experiences are important at that age, but also it helps set the tone for the rest of the federation.

So I think you have to build from the ground up, and having more teams now challenge for the Under-17, the Under-20, the Olympics, I think this has to be something of a goal of ours as well to then help feed the national team.

Bolavip: You played in Europe a lot. How important or necessary do you think that is for the growth of the team? Is it relevant or not, really?

Jozy Altidore: Yes. Listen, I think it’s relevant. I think no matter where you play, it’s important to play well. I think the most relevant thing to continue the growth because, you know, we need to make sure that the environment that the players have in the US is an environment that they’re uncomfortable in. Right?

Even though they’re at home, we have to make it uncomfortable with how we challenge them. How we make them play, how we give them ideas to constantly keep feeding, elevating a football mind. And that starts with the coaching, so can we continue to educate our coaches that we have top coaches here that are challenging our young players all the way from, eight, nine years old in the básicos (academy) all the way to the first team.

So for me, it’s improving the coaching and providing environments where the players at a young age are uncomfortable. And then obviously from there, taking them to Europe is going to be very important.

The USMNT strikers and the next World Cup cycle

Bolavip: Does any current player from the USMNT remind you of yourself?

Jozy Altidore: [Laughs] Um… of course, when I watch Balogun, it brings a smile to my face because I think this is a striker that showed he can do everything. And I always wanted to be a striker that can score every type of goal. From a set piece, left foot, free kick, header, penalty kicks. And when I watch Balogun and how he moves and how he plays, he’s dangerous in so many different ways of the game. It was a real joy for me because you need a striker like that.

And also Ricardo Pepi. I think Ricardo Pepi is a different striker, but his hunger… you know, he’s so hungry. You can see every time he touches the field he wants more. And then you also have Haji Wright, who is a different striker but had a fantastic season and another striker that scores goals in many different ways. And so it really pleases me to see that.

I see a little bit of myself in all of these guys, not only in how they play but their journey. You know, from Pepi leaving MLS at a young age, Balogun doing what he’s doing in Europe, and Haji Wright as well. So it’s exciting to see those guys. And I’m very excited to see what they can do in this next cycle and the other new number nines that we’re going to develop going into Madrid 2030.

Bolavip: Do expect many changes for the next World Cup cycle?

Jozy Altidore: Of course. There’s gonna be changes. You know, for a lot of these players, it’s their third World Cup in a row. It’s not gonna be that easy, right? There’s gonna be new blood. I think for obviously some of the more experienced players, maybe it’ll be more of the same, but I think you’re gonna have challenges, you’re gonna have players challenging for places. And, to be honest, you need it. You need it so that the team remains competitive, the team remains strong.

Altidore sees serious potential in Bradley and MLS

Bolavip: And going back to MLS, how do you see the New York Red Bulls, the team that drafted you, and Michael Bradley, your former teammate (on the USMNT and Toronto FC)?

Jozy Altidore: I think Michael has done a great job. I think it’s not easy to go into a team that historically is not spending like the rest of the teams. It’s a first-class organization, but they have a methodology and how they want to bring up the youth players and what they want to do there. So I think for any coach, when you go to Red Bull, you need to have this in the back of your mind. And you need to work in a little bit of a different way. And I think Michael has done a great job.

It’s not easy ever in your first season, especially as a coach, but I think he’s only going to continue to get better. He has great football experience as a player, but also playing with him, the way he’s able to break down a game is like nobody else that I know. And so I’m very bullish on Michael. I think Michael is just a start. And I know some of the results lately haven’t been great, but I think Michael is a national team coach in the future, in my mind.

He’s a coach that is going to start in MLS but also going to coach in Europe in a big league, in my opinion. So, I think Michael is, is, is terrific. I, I really like what he’s doing. Obviously, there’s going to be challenges, but I think he’s really a coach of the future that we have to one, support, obviously be critical of, but support and, and help him as a footballing nation to continue to rise as a coach and get to the next level to give that experience back to the young players.

Bolavip: Do you imagine yourself working with him or in a coaching role in the future?

Jozy Altidore: [Laughs] I don’t know man, I don’t know about that. You know, I have to coach my son now at home, and that’s literally my biggest priority. But I don’t know. I don’t know. It involves a lot of traveling, it’s different. But you never say never. You never say never in this life. We’ll have to see. But he’s doing a terrific job and it’s great to see him go from playing and being like a general coach on the pitch to now being a general and a coach off the pitch.

Bolavip: Yes, you never know. I mean, you can still come back and play, so who knows?

Jozy Altidore: [Laughs] Yeah, listen, I would love to. I never say never in anything. I love the game. I’m a football player first before anything. So who knows.

Bolavip: MLS continues to land big names: Lewandowski, Antoine Griezmann, Alexis Sanchez. What do you think about this?

Jozy Altidore: I think it’s excellent because you’re seeing Lewandowski, you’re seeing Alexis Sanchez, you’re seeing (Heung-min) Son, you’re seeing (Luis) Suarez, Lionel Messi. But then you’re also seeing transfers for big money for players, right? For our young players.

Ricardo Pepi a few years ago went for a big transfer. (Zavier) Gozo from Real Salt Lake, he’s now leaving for a big transfer. So as much as we’re seeing the older players that have these great careers come back and want to play in MLS, we’re also seeing a lot of young players too at the same time now going to Europe for big transfer fees. And that speaks to MLS and the way they develop these players.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH JOZY ALTIDORE ON BOLAVIP US:

Following a challenging run at the 2026 World Cup, members of the USMNT are eager to prove on the club stage that they possess the elite talent needed to push top European sides toward silverware and European qualification.

A total of 580 players across 20 Premier League clubs will be vying for success this season, whether competing for the coveted league title or fighting to secure their place in the top flight for another year.

How many American-born players will compete in the 2026–27 Premier League?

A total of seven US-born players are feature on Premier League rosters for the 2026–27 campaign. Two additional players were dual-national eligible for the USMNT but were born in England. Here is the list of American-born players competing in England’s top tier this season:

• Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth) – Born in Wappingers Falls, New York
• Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United) – Born in Medford, New Jersey
• Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) – Born in Birmingham, Alabama
• Haji Wright (Coventry City) – Born in Los Angeles, California
• Gabriel ‘Gaga’ Slonina (Chelsea) – Born in Addison, Illinois
• Caleb Wiley (Chelsea) – Born in Atlanta, Georgia
• Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace) – Born in Eagle Mountain, Utah

Among the most prominent names on the list is USMNT’s Tyler Adams, who logged critical minutes during the 2026 World Cup and continues to represent the peak of USA’s talent competing on soccer’s biggest stage.

Top 10 countries represented by player count

Beyond the seven American players, the 2026–27 Premier League features players representing 68 different nationalities. Here is the breakdown of the top 10 countries with the highest player representation this season:

1. England: 171
2. Brazil: 34
3. France: 31
4. Spain: 28
5. Netherlands: 24
6. Portugal: 22
7. Scotland: 18
8. Ireland: 15
9. Argentina: 14
10. Belgium: 13

Building on previous experiences like in Qatar 2022, Ramos followed closely this year’s World Cup as a broadcaster. Now, he continues contributing to the beautiful game’s growth in the country by leading the US National Soccer School.

During his playing days, Ramos made a name for himself as a midfielder who earned 81 caps with the USMNT, including three World Cup appearances (1990, 1994, and 1998).

Tab Ramos analyzes the 2026 World Cup and the USMNT’s performance

Bolavip: What did you think about the USA’s performance and the country hosting the World Cup this year?

Tab Ramos: I think the World Cup was an incredible event. We had a lot of concerns initially because there wasn’t a lot of interest, it seemed, in the country for it. Like a month before the World Cup, it seemed like no one knew it was happening.

But the World Cup, that full month when the World Cup was going on, it was absolutely crazy here. And I think it was definitely the best ever, it was a great event. Every stadium was packed. I was fortunate enough to broadcast a lot of the games out of Philadelphia and out of Toronto, so I was involved heavily in it, and I truly enjoyed it. I think it was definitely one of the best World Cups ever.

In terms of the national team itself, I thought, in general, the national team had a good performance. I thought our first game against Paraguay was likely the best that any US team has ever played at a World Cup, and I think that’s a very positive sign. However, in general, you have to judge the national team by results, and I think the results were just barely okay and really below the expectations.

Bolavip: Did you expect the team to go further, or did you expect at least a better performance against European opposition?

Tab Ramos: Well, I mean, it seems like going to the Round of 16 is the norm for our country here, regardless of the coach that we have. And so, because we brought in Mauricio Pochettino, and he’s one of the highest-paid national team coaches in the world and obviously he has incredible experience overseas, our expectations were a little bit higher than getting to the same place we always get.

We waited for two years in the beginning of Pochettino’s era, as we didn’t get good results. He kept saying, “Well, we’ve got to wait for the World Cup. We have to wait for the World Cup.” And we waited for the World Cup, but in the end, we ended up getting the same results as always. So, in general, I’d have to say this World Cup was below expectations.

Bolavip: And why do you think this was the result?

Tab Ramos: Well, I think what the team showed in the World Cup was exactly what the team had been showing for the past year and a half, which was an up and down of some FIFA windows playing really well, like when we beat Paraguay and beat Uruguay 5-1, and then the next window playing really poorly, like when we lost to Portugal and we lost to Belgium.

And really, that’s probably the last two really noticeable windows, but that really happened throughout Pochettino’s process. And I think the World Cup showed exactly the same. It showed our team playing really well against Paraguay, maybe the best ever, not as well against Australia, and then poorly against Turkey, which you can justify because it was a second team.

But the Bosnia game was barely okay. And then obviously the Belgium game was not a good game. So it sort of showed us the same as it had been shown for the last year and a half.

Pochettino’s contract extension and the USMNT’s direction

Bolavip: What are your thoughts on US Soccer extending Mauricio Pochettino‘s contract?

Tab Ramos: Well, I think first of all, there’s no question that Mauricio Pochettino is a good coach. So, I think we’re lucky to have a good coach. But at the same time, I’m not sure how much research it came down to.

But let me just start with this: I think whenever you hire a coach, there has to be a goal in place, right? What is it that you want from this coach? Right? That’s something that we don’t know.

So, we haven’t had the president of the federation say, “Hey, over the next eight years, we’re looking for this. We’re looking to play this way, or we’re looking for these results.” None of that has been made public in any way.

All we know is that they decided—a group of people decided—that they’re going to keep Mauricio Pochettino, right? But we don’t know if Mauricio Pochettino was kept because the demand was, “Hey, for 2030, the goal is to be a semifinalist or a quarterfinalist,” or because they hired Mauricio Pochettino because Mauricio Pochettino is going to install a new way to play that’s going to translate to our youth national teams and it’s going to change the way we play.

None of that has been said except that Mauricio Pochettino is going to help with the youth programs and help with coaching education. Now, as far as I know, he hasn’t worked in youth programs, nor has he worked in youth education, right?

So, we don’t really know what it’s for. So, I think the best way to answer your question was, if Mauricio Pochettino was not the guy, then who was, right? Because I didn’t have a clear answer.

I think if we don’t have a goal in place, it’s hard to put in candidates. So all of us outside of the national team started to throw in people. Okay, “Thierry Henry or Xavi Hernandez, or it could be Roberto Martinez.” Like, we start throwing names, but really the names don’t mean anything if you don’t have a goal.

And I’m not sure what the process was because we don’t know the goal. Had we known the goal, I think we could have an opinion. At this point, I really can’t have an opinion on whether this is a good hire or not, but I do know that he’s a good coach.

The criticism faced by Christian Pulisic and the Folarin Balogun situation

Bolavip: Going back to the World Cup, what do you think about the criticism that Christian Pulisic faced, especially after the elimination?

Tab Ramos: Well, I think criticism is fair. This is what this game is about, right? I’m sure there were some people who thought that because we played well in the first-round games that the full performance was good enough. And then there’s going to be people that are going to say, “Well, that’s not good enough. I think we got to the same place as other World Cups.”

So, the World Cup was okay. But if you think about it, we got the same place we got in other World Cups, but we were playing at home this time. So at times, you expect to do better than before, not the same. And so, yeah, it seems to me like it’s not necessarily unfair to say that the World Cup was not great.

Bolavip: Do you think that the whole Folarin Balogun situation affected the team negatively?

Tab Ramos: I remember going into that game just looking from the outside, thinking how we had great momentum going into the game regardless of whether Balogun was going to play or not.

And I think if anything, the Balogun situation was a big distraction that I think maybe sidetracked our team a little bit and I think motivated Belgium a little bit more. So I think if anything, I think it had a negative effect on our team for sure.

Bolavip: Do you see now a core group of players for the next World Cup, or do you think that a major overhaul should be done for the next tournament?

Tab Ramos: Well, this is an interesting question because when you look at the roster, we had a roster of 26 players. Fifteen of them will be 30 or older in the next World Cup. Normally, if you look at the stats, teams in general have between five and six 30-year-olds on teams.

So it’s inevitable that there’s going to be eight or ten changes just by stats alone. There’s no question that we’ve now had this generation for two of their, let’s say, prime years, and now there’s likely going to be a lot of changes.

The future of soccer in the US

Bolavip: What kind of impact do you think this World Cup and this generation will make for soccer in the US?

Tab Ramos: I think it will have a huge impact. I think this World Cup will be felt for the next couple decades. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time because I think all of the new people that got to see the World Cup this year—and there were over 50 million people watching our national team by the end—it will certainly have an effect on them, and it takes time.

I mean, if you think in 1994, really no one knew what soccer was in general. I mean, most American people thought that soccer was just the hooligans in England who fought each other in the games. I mean, that’s basically—and I’m, of course, generalizing. Of course, we had some people who knew about the game.

But if you think about it, over the next 20 years, the effects were slowly gaining ground, right? And over the last 10 years, think about all the new stadiums that MLS has built. Think about all the new facilities that MLS teams have built to develop players.

These are all results from the 1994 World Cup. And so some results are immediate. Within a couple years, the league started. Some results take a decade or two. They build their own stadium. The league grows. You have more teams.

So I think it’ll be the same effect this time. And it’ll take time. But I think there’s no question that this World Cup was really positive for the game in this country.

Bolavip: And where do you see MLS in this situation? Do you see the league in a good direction, or do you think that changes should be made to make this league even bigger?

Tab Ramos: I think it depends on what our expectations are of the league, because I think the league is in a good place. I mean, obviously, we know there’s five big leagues in Europe. Those are the best in the world. There’s the Brazilian league, which I put right below them or right on par with some of them because the Brazilian league now has money and great teams. Maybe you put the league in Argentina a little bit below that.

And then I’m not sure that MLS is not competitive with other leagues in the world after that, right? And we could argue about that. You could say, “Well, you know, I think that—I don’t know—the Dutch league is better.” I mean, we could argue about other leagues, but I think MLS is right there.

So, if you take the top six or seven leagues, MLS is right there. So, I think it depends on the expectations. I think MLS is in a good place.

I think where we have to make progress is on the player development front, is on the culture front, because inevitably MLS is the professional league. That’s where everybody goes. But MLS can’t be responsible for all of it. So MLS has to be responsible for having a proper league. And I think we do have a proper league. So I don’t think it falls on them. It falls on the rest of us. It falls on us as soccer and on the rest of us to help MLS with the players that are coming along.

The pro/rel debate

Bolavip: Do you think the promotion/relegation debate is relevant or not?

Tab Ramos: I don’t. I personally don’t think it’s relevant, to be honest. And the reason I say that is because to have a true pro/rel, everyone has to be involved in that.

And what do I mean by that? What I mean by that is that if you and I want to start a team with our friends, we should be part of the pyramid of true pro/rel, right? We start with our friends in the corner and we bring ten friends, and our team does well, and then we bring a couple kids from the outside, and our team gets bigger, and then we go into the sixth division and we do well, and then we have a chance.

That’s true pro/rel. But if pro/rel is going to be, let’s say the USL, puts all their teams together and they move up and down within their teams, I just don’t really think that means anything. I don’t think that’s the true value, the true spirit of pro/rel.

Bolavip: What can you tell us about your program with the US National Soccer School?

Tab Ramos: Well, we have a program here in which we have the kids. First, it’s academic. So, the kids come to school in the morning. They eat lunch with us.

We have a high-performance group that works on all of their levels. It works with the kids on the analytics of their training sessions, works with them on the activation every day, so they don’t get on the field without the proper activation. And then in the afternoon, they’re on the field for two or two and a half hours every day.

I truly feel that this country, and in particular with a new wave of thinking of—not of workload, we’re always worried about workload, and other countries train more than we do.

We have to remember that still today, a lot of the greatest players in the world come from Africa and South America, regardless of whether the best teams come from there or not. And the reason those are the best players is because they have more contact with the ball. They have more hours with the ball. And so we’re here to provide that.

We’re not a club. We’re a school. The kids are here and do about 8 to 10 hours of training, sometimes 12 hours of training with us, just on the field every week. Plus, then they go to their clubs. So, I think that we’re providing all of the hours that young players can’t do on their own.

Bolavip: Are you planning, besides this project, to return to coaching on the professional level?

Tab Ramos: No, I don’t want to return to coaching at all. I found that I did my full professional coaching pathway, from coaching nine-year-olds all the way to coaching U-18s for many years. Then, as you know, I coached the national teams for many years. I was a youth technical director for many years.

And then I always thought, like every coach, I always thought, “Well, you got to move up, you know? So, the next step is to go into the pros.” And then you realize, at least for me, I got hit by the fact that it really wasn’t so much about me and my coaching style.

When you go into the professional world, it has a lot to do with the roster that you have and the roster that you can get. And by no means am I taking responsibility away from myself. Maybe I just was not a great professional coach. Maybe that’s what happened.

But I do realize that I know just as much as everybody else. But when you don’t have a roster, in the end, it’s difficult to be successful. And here’s the bad part about it. The bad part about it is that you take it all home with you, and you’re worried about the players 24/7, and you don’t sleep, and it’s all day and night to be a coach, and it’s very, very difficult. I really don’t want to live through that again.

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Through a message on their official social media channels, the US Soccer demonstrated their support for Concacaf. “U.S. Soccer stands with Concacaf and its members,” they stated. This represents more than a simple vote.

Concacaf took a firm stance against one of the most controversial projects promoted by Gianni Infantino. In an extraordinary meeting, the 41 member associations unanimously rejected the proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), an initiative that involves bringing private investors into the commercial rights of the World Cup and other FIFA-organized tournaments.

Concacaf criticism of Gianni Infantino

Among the main concerns, the confederation stated that there was no proper review process, criticized the deadlines set by FIFA, and questioned the need to rely on private capital considering the multi-million-dollar revenue generated from the 2026 World Cup, which was listed as the most profitable in the organization’s history.

Additionally, Concacaf requested greater transparency in resource administration and asked to evaluate whether FIFA’s economic reserves could be used to strengthen soccer development without opening the door to outside investors.

UEFA also opposed FIFA’s plan

Concacaf’s decision comes just hours after UEFA expressed a similar stance. The European confederation warned that none of its federations will participate in tournaments organized by FIFA while this proposal remains in effect, increasing pressure on Gianni Infantino.

The FIFA Forward Enterprise project seeks to raise $4.2 billion through long-term investors, with a valuation close to $20 billion. However, resistance from two of the world’s primary confederations leaves the FIFA-backed initiative in an increasingly complex position.

“It’s too early to say,” Bradley admitted Thursday in response to Bolavip during his media availability before Saturday’s MLS fixture against Orlando City. “I think time will tell, and the thing that I say anytime I get asked about this is actually very simple: the game is growing in a huge way in this country. Everything is trending in a really positive direction.

“And yeah, there will be improvement and there will be continued growth after the World Cup. But ultimately, we are moving things forward in a really positive way. The league, our national team, the level of individual players, the level of media attention, of pure number of fans who are interested in our sport.“

2026 World Cup sets record-breaking numbers in the USA

FOX confirmed that the 2026 World Cup final shattered TV records across the USA, as an average of 38.937 million viewers tuned in on Spain’s overtime win over Lionel Messi’s Argentina. This represents the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history and a 132% increase compared to FOX’s broadcast of the Qatar 2022 final, in which Argentina beat France on penalties.

The USMNT‘s campaign also set record figures, with the team breaking the record for most-watched soccer telecast in American history twice. First, an English-language TV audience of 26.4 million watched the Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to Nielsen Media research, the number increased to 33.086 million ⁠viewers for the Round of 16 loss to Belgium.

On top of that, the stadiums were sold out for these games, and soccer took center stage in American sports media. The question now is whether this growing interest in soccer will continue after the World Cup.

Bradley optimistic on the future of soccer in the US

“Everything is going in a really good direction, and ultimately, that doesn’t hinge on a little bit of a post-World Cup boom,” Bradley said. “There will be positives that come from the World Cup, but ultimately the progress is going forward in a really good way, no matter what.“

The 1994 World Cup led to the creation of MLS. Two decades after the league’s inaugural season, it’s fair to wonder what kind of impact the 2026 World Cup will produce in the game.

According to Sky Sports News, the Norwegian Soccer Federation will file a complaint with the FIFA Ethics Committee regarding the rescinding of the suspension for USA forward Folarin Balogun following the intervention by Donald Trump.

In an interview with The Times, Norwegian Soccer Federation president Lise Klaveness spoke out on the issue. “When a rule like this is bypassed, you enter a slippery slope that will jeopardize all of soccer,” Klaveness emphasized. “Questioning its fundamental rules constitutes a threat to this sport.”

The Federation President strongly opposed what happened

The decision ultimately had a significant impact on the USA, as stated by Balogun himself. The forward did not put together a strong performance and apologized to fans after the team was eliminated—an incident that will go down in history. However, Klaveness maintains that this scenario should never have taken place.

“First of all, this should never have happened. Now it is essential to have honest communication about it,” Klaveness continued. “We all know that this verdict was influenced by external forces and that it did not follow the proper procedure.” She added: “We need FIFA leadership to acknowledge that this is a mistake.”

The head of the Norwegian Soccer Federation was previously the sole official to formally protest against the “Peace Award” granted by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to the U.S. president last December.

The Norwegian soccer executive also told The Times that she was “disappointed, but not necessarily surprised” by FIFA’s lack of transparency in the matter and by the fact that the governing body has not published the full ruling explaining its decision. Despite Balogun’s participation, Belgium ultimately won 4-1 against the USA, eliminating the co-hosts.

Both the USMNT and Portugal suffered heartbreaking defeats in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. In fact, had they both won those games, they would’ve faced off in the quarterfinals. They didn’t, and that’s why Belgium and Spain competed for a spot in the semifinals.

Although the Stars and Stripes and the Lusos fell in the same round of the knockout stage, the Americans hold the edge thanks to FIFA’s criteria to determine positioning between teams that exited the tournament in the same stage.

Thus, the USA ranks ahead of Portugal in the 2026 World Cup final standings. The USMNT finished as the 12th-best team in the world, while Ronaldo and Portugal came in an unlucky 13th.

FIFA’s criteria

“For the teams which exited the competition at the same stage, their position is decided by the following criteria: Total number of points from matches across all stages (matches which go to a penalty shootout count as draws), goal difference from matches across all stages, number of goals scored from matches across all stages. If two or more teams are still tied after applying the above criteria they share the same final rank,” FIFA’s official statement on the final standings read.

2026 World Cup final standings: Top 20

Only the first four places in the standings are decided by a direct matchup, thanks to the final and third-place game at the 2026 World Cup. The rest of the teams’ positions are determined by the round in which they were eliminated and how they fared across all games in the group and knockout stage.

The top four of the 2026 World Cup are virtually self-explanatory. Spain finished first, Argentina second, England third, and France fourth. In fifth place, the rowing Vikings emerged from the fog, as Erling Haaland’s Norway reached the quarterfinals and finished with 12 points across all their games.

Belgium (11 points) finished in sixth place, while Morocco and Switzerland tied for seventh after finishing level on all tiebreakers. Mexico and Colombia rounded out the top 10 in ninth and 10th, respectively.

Brazil finished 11th, the USA 12th, and Portugal 13th. Canada finished last among the co-hosts in 14th. From 15th to 20th, the countries are ranked as follows: Egypt, Paraguay, the Netherlands, Germany, Ivory Coast, and Croatia.

The worst team in 2026 World Cup

Iraq was the worst team at the 2026 World Cup. One could say the Lions of Mesopotamia were the worst by a landslide, but Tunisia did put up a fight in that debate.

Iraq lost all three group-stage games, scored only one goal, and conceded 12, finishing with a whopping -11 goal difference. The Eagles of Carthage, on the other hand, finished just ahead of them in 47th place thanks to their -10 goal difference. Tunisia also scored one more goal than Iraq.

Uzbekistan rounded out the bottom three, as they failed to earn a single point as well, but finished with a -9 goal difference.

According to Donald Trump, he personally reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to advocate for overturning Balogun’s red card. Ultimately, the striker was reinstated and cleared to play, sparking intense outrage within the Belgian Football Association.

Despite Balogun starting against the Red Devils, the USMNT was thoroughly defeated and eliminated from the World Cup. Reflecting after the match, the striker, after apologizing to USA’s fans over the elimination, admitted that the controversy surrounding his presence on the pitch may have negatively impacted the team’s focus and performance.

“I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that’s so unique,“ Balogun told CBS on Tuesday. “But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could.”

“When something is not intentional … it should never be a red card. So it was just an unfortunate situation and I think, you know, it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed. “

Belgium showed no mercy to the USMNT

Following FIFA’s decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension, the Belgian camp was left in complete disbelief. Several players voiced their frustration publicly before taking their answer directly to the pitch.

Belgium dominated the USMNT in a 4-1 victory and appeared determined to push the scoreline even higher. After the match, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois went as far as claiming that Senegal had provided a tougher test, making no secret of his disgust over Balogun’s reinstatement.

While Belgium was eventually eliminated by Spain in the quarterfinals, supporters of the Red Devils viewed the statement victory over the USA as a massive point of pride—overcoming pre-match controversy to deliver a commanding performance on the pitch.

Balogun didn’t make an impact vs Belgium

Belgium complained vocally about Balogun’s reinstatement, given his strong 2026 World Cup campaign. However, the striker made virtually no impact during their Round of 16 clash against the Red Devils, who mocked the USMNT during the game.

Balogun played all 90 minutes without registering a single shot on target. He finished with a modest 6.3 rating on Sofascore, reflecting the heavy burden and scrutiny surrounding his high-profile reintegration.

Pulisic was forced off in the 59th minute after colliding with a Belgian defender while attempting to shoot on goal. The AC Milan star immediately showed signs of discomfort and was unable to continue.

According to the USMNT, subsequent medical examinations revealed that the injury is less severe than initially feared, offering encouraging news for both the player and his club ahead of the 2026-27 season.

What happened to Christian Pulisic in 2026 World Cup?

Christian Pulisic suffered a bone bruise and a microfracture during the USA loss against Belgium in Seattle. This is the full report from the USMNT after medical examinations.

“Christian Pulisic has been diagnosed with a microfracture and bone bruise of the tibia/fibula in his right leg suffered during the match against Belgium. U.S. Soccer and AC Milan will be collaborating on his recovery plan.”

Pulisic’s injury occurred during a promising attacking move for the USMNT. As he prepared to strike the ball toward goal, his foot made contact with the foot of a Belgian opponent. The impact immediately affected his ability to continue, and he was eventually substituted in the 59th minute.

How serious is Christian Pulisic’s injury?

According to a report from The Athletic, this is Pulisic’s projected recovery timeline: “The estimated timeframe for Pulisic’s recovery puts him on track to return sometime in August, meaning he could be back in training ahead of the new Serie A season.”

The diagnosis comes as reassuring news for Pulisic and AC Milan, as there had been concerns that the injury could be much more serious and potentially threaten the beginning of his 2026-27 club season.

Among many things, Pulisic made a promise, calling this lesson only the beginning for the sport of soccer in the United States. Although Pulisic downplayed the injury he suffered against Belgium, he did admit disappointment with how the 2026 World Cup ended.

That same disappointment was echoed by U.S. icon Landon Donovan regarding Pulisic’s performance. Still, after taking a few days to process and digest a packed summer, Pulisic took to social media with a message for the fans and the rest of the world.

“Tough to find the words. I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who believe. The support carried us all the way through. It simply wasn’t good enough from us in the end and I wanted to deliver so much more,” Pulisic’s message on his Instagram read. “I still feel blessed to be a part of this team. The memories this summer will last a lifetime. It’s just the start for us and for this sport in America.”

Pulisic’s numbers at 2026 World Cup

Pulisic appeared in four games at the 2026 World Cup. He didn’t complete any of them. Although it must be noted he played 87 minutes in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, so he virtually played the full 90 minutes. In the remaining three, however, he was either subbed off with an injury (against Paraguay and Belgium) or subbed in (against Turkiye). Through those four appearances, Pulisic recorded only one assist.

In soccer, however, great performances may be lost in the stat sheet. In Pulisic’s case, he did put together a great first half against Paraguay in the tournament opener. However, he was subbed off at halftime with a lower-body setback, and that was essentially all she wrote for his campaign.

Pulisic didn’t come close to matching that level for the rest of the 2026 World Cup, and it was extremely painful as a nation rallied behind the USMNT while its biggest star looked a gear off.

Focus shifts onto next World Cup

There’s nothing to be done now, and the USMNT must shift its focus to the CONCACAF Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers, as the next World Cup won’t be until 2030, and the USA isn’t guaranteed to make it.

Pulisic will be 31 at the 2030 World Cup. There’s a scenario in which it could be his last or second to last. Either way, his opportunities are running short, and he squandered his best yet.

As he mentioned that soccer is only writing its first chapters in the USA, he will surely want to have a bigger say in them going forward. Or maybe he will only plant the seed of a tree he won’t see blossom—at least not as a USMNT player.

It’s too late for the USA now. Although the USMNT will receive prize money for reaching the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, it will be little consolation for the broken hearts across the country. Among those left disappointed and hoping for better from Pulisic and the Stars and Stripes was legendary forward Landon Donovan.

“In the end, [Pulisic] is your best player, he is your star, and it just didn’t happen for him. It’s just disappointing. I was waiting for a moment from him, something special, something spectacular, and it just didn’t happen,” Donovan said in a recent episode of his podcast, Unfiltered Soccer, with Tim Howard.

Injuries doomed Pulisic’s World Cup

After a great first half against Paraguay in the tournament opener, Pulisic was subbed off at halftime with a lower-body injury. He went on to miss the game against Australia before appearing in the second half of the USMNT’s loss to Turkiye to close out Group D.

Pulisic played against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, but his performance flew under the radar. Instead, striker Folarin Balogun and German-born midfielder Malik Tillman stole the spotlight and led the Stars and Stripes to victory. One of the players born outside the United States led the USMNT to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.

However, that would be as far as the United States would go, despite playing at home and having FIFA cancel Balogun’s red-card suspension, amid an admission from FIFA president Gianni Infantino that U.S. President Donald Trump called about the suspension. Pulisic was subbed off during the Round of 16 game against Belgium, in which the Stars and Stripes suffered their worst loss in a long time, sounding the death knell for their hopes and dreams at the 2026 World Cup.

What’s next?

From now on, the USMNT will have to watch as the tournament unfolds on home soil, while Pulisic will bear the weight of harsh criticism from sea to shining sea. With the United States eliminated, they will have to wait for the next World Cup, which will be in 2030. For the time being, there’s much work to be done.