Alex Morgan’s Insights on USMNT’s 2026 World Cup Prospects

Alex Morgan, renowned for her achievements with the U.S. women’s national team (USWNT), has high expectations for the U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will be held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, starting this week.

Morgan, who retired in 2024, discussed her outlook during an appearance on “SportsCenter.” She stated, “Making it to the Round of 16 is likely the threshold for this team. Advancing beyond that would be a huge success, but not progressing should not be seen as a failure.”

She emphasized the importance of momentum, excitement, and the support of the home crowd. “They should feel that 12th man energy,” she said. Morgan also pointed out the value of experience from previous tournaments. Thirteen players from the current roster were part of the 2022 World Cup team, giving them seasoned insight to push further this year.

“We’ve been here; we’ve done this before. Now, how can we take this team even further?” Morgan questioned, urging the players to utilize their past experiences for future success.

One of the team’s key players, Christian Pulisic, echoed this sentiment in a recent interview with Newsweek. He expressed the desire to leave the tournament with no regrets, regardless of how far they advance. “We want to win the World Cup. It’s about looking back and knowing we gave everything,” Pulisic remarked.

The USMNT has not progressed beyond the Round of 16 since 2002 when they reached the quarterfinals and lost to Germany. The team’s best performance was in 1930 when they made it to the semifinals.

The USMNT will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The match is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Friday.