The United States will make their 12th appearance at the FIFA World Cup when they co-host the expanded 48-team tournament alongside Canada and Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Having previously hosted the competition in 1994, the Stars and Stripes head into the tournament under the leadership of Mauricio Pochettino, who was appointed head coach in September 2024 following the departure of Gregg Berhalter.
Pochettino brings elite-level coaching experience after managing clubs including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Espanyol.
The USA will be hoping to improve on their performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the Round of 16 before suffering a 3-1 defeat to Netherlands.
USA’s World Cup 2026 Group Fixtures
- 12 June: USA vs Paraguay – Los Angeles Stadium
- 19 June: USA vs Australia – Seattle Stadium
- 25 June: Türkiye vs USA – Los Angeles Stadium
As co-hosts, the USA automatically qualified for the tournament and will participate in back-to-back World Cups after appearing in Qatar 2022.
USA World Cup History
The Americans first appeared at the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and enjoyed their best-ever finish by reaching the semi-finals.
They defeated Paraguay and Belgium 3-0 in the group stage before losing 6-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals.
USA World Cup Record
- Appearances: 12
- Best finish: Semi-finals (1930)
- Last World Cup: Round of 16 (2022)
- Hosts: 1994 and 2026
- Overall record: 37 matches, 9 wins, 8 draws, 20 losses
Landon Donovan’s Lasting Legacy
Former USA star Landon Donovan remains the country’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with five goals across the 2002, 2006 and 2010 tournaments.
Donovan also holds the record for most World Cup appearances by an American player with 12 matches played.
One of his most memorable moments came during the 2002 FIFA World Cup when he scored in the famous 2-0 Round of 16 victory over Mexico.
USA’s Most Memorable World Cup Moments
One of the greatest shocks in World Cup history came at the 1950 FIFA World Cup when the USA stunned England 1-0 in Belo Horizonte thanks to a goal from Joe Gaetjens.
Another unforgettable performance came at the 2014 FIFA World Cup when goalkeeper Tim Howard produced a record 16 saves against Belgium in the Round of 16, despite the USA eventually losing 2-1 after extra time.
Biggest World Cup Victory
The USA’s biggest wins at the World Cup remain the 3-0 victories over Belgium and Paraguay during the 1930 tournament in Uruguay.
During the win over Paraguay, Bert Patenaude scored the first hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history.
