United States

🌍 World Cup Story

The USA has a surprisingly rich World Cup history. They finished third at the very first World Cup in 1930. They then shocked England 1-0 in 1950 — one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history. After decades of absence, they returned in 1990 and co-hosted in 1994 (reaching the last 16). The 2002 squad was remarkable — beating Portugal and Mexico to reach the quarterfinals, their best modern result. They've appeared at ten World Cups but missed the 2018 tournament after a humiliating qualifying loss to Trinidad and Tobago. In 2022 they returned, drawing with England and exiting in the round of 16 to the Netherlands. Now, as 2026 co-hosts, Christian Pulisic leads a squad of talented European-based players. The stakes have never been higher.