USMNT knockout – As the U.S. men’s national team shifts into the World Cup knockout rounds on Wednesday, players and staff argue the group stage—wins, losses, even the late setback to Turkey—doesn’t decide what happens next. What matters now is whether this team can carry its
IRVINE, Ca. — The U.S. men’s national team’s group stage is already fading from view, even for players who lived it. The scoreboard may have brought satisfaction—topping the group and winning two of three games for the first time—but the team’s message is blunt: the knockout rounds are where the tournament truly starts.
“It’s crunch time,” Folarin Balogun said Sunday, June 28. “You lose, you go home. So this is the business end and this is the stage where, in my opinion, the big players step forward and the big players carry the pressure and make things happen.”
The U.S. begins the knockout rounds Wednesday, July 1, against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara.
For a program with a history of breakthrough moments that came long ago, the stakes land differently. The Americans have won a knockout round game only once since 1930—and that victory was 24 years ago. Tim Ream. one of the few players who can remember that older run. is now tasked with helping the team close that gap in the present.
The players insist the team has earned the belief it’s carrying into the bracket. Sergino Dest, a holdover from the 2022 roster, pointed to the change in how the team sees itself. “I think we’re a different team right now. We improved a lot in the last couple of years and I think we showed it as well the first couple of games in this tournament. ” he said. Dest added, “Everybody’s really confident,” saying, “We just have a lot of belief that we can do it.”.
Early doubts existed before the tournament even kicked off. The U.S. opened the year with losses to Belgium and Portugal, and then lost to Germany in the final sendoff game.
Once the World Cup began, the tone shifted fast. The U.S. dominated Paraguay and Australia, a run that energized the American public.
Still, the team wants more than a good group. Winning the group and winning group-stage games. the players say. should be the norm—not something to celebrate as a surprise. Same logic applies to the knockout rounds. The final may be a reach at this World Cup. but the Americans see no reason they can’t make real noise once elimination football begins.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino has put it in simple terms: “Why not us?”
Balogun echoed that mindset when asked to frame the moment. “The objective is we play on Wednesday and the objective is to win,” he said. “I’m not somebody who would look back and think we’ve done well. That’s not really my mentality. I’m just looking forward to Wednesday and looking forward to going out there and winning.”.
Not every part of the group stage was smooth. Some supporters may have had their faith shaken by the loss to Turkey in the group-stage finale—sealed by a last-second goal. In a different version of this team, that kind of sting might have lingered.
But the U.S. argues the circumstances matter. The Turkey game came when Pochettino was resting his starters and playing his backups. Losing a game that didn’t matter in the standings isn’t supposed to carry over.
Ream said after the Turkey game: “The way we played the first two games is exactly the way we need to come out and play in the knockouts. If we do that, then we give ourselves the best possible chance to continue to move on.”
The bracket, at least on paper, adds another layer of opportunity. While the U.S. has not beaten a European team under Pochettino, the losses have come against teams ranked in the top 25. Bosnia and Herzegovina, by contrast, is ranked No. 64. The U.S. has won its first three meetings against the Dragons, and it held them scoreless in the last two.
If the U.S. wins Wednesday’s match, it would play the winner of Belgium-Senegal in the round of 16.
The history with Belgium isn’t favorable under Pochettino. The U.S. lost to Belgium badly in March. But Belgium’s path through its group has also looked different: it had to settle for draws against both Egypt and Iran, and it had to pile on New Zealand just to win its group.
The location could also play a role in how the game feels. The potential round-of-16 matchup with Belgium would be in Seattle, where the crowd had true 12th Man energy for the U.S. game against Australia in the group stage.
Balogun captured the psychological shift that knockout football demands. “I feel like I can feel the difference in just the atmosphere,” he said. “It’s knockout football. You lose, you go home. So for me, there’s a change in my mindset and mentality as well. Not that I wasn’t taking it seriously before. but you can just go into another gear because you want it more.”.
He didn’t want the journey to end—because, in the way the team sees it, it hasn’t really started yet.
“I don’t want the journey to end.”
Not when the World Cup is, in all the ways that matter, just beginning.
USMNT World Cup knockout rounds Bosnia and Herzegovina Santa Clara Folarin Balogun Sergino Dest Tim Ream Mauricio Pochettino Belgium-Senegal football World Cup 2026
Group stage irrelevant?? Lol sure.
So they lost to Turkey late and now it’s all “crunch time”? I don’t buy it, sounds like they’re already making excuses. Also Bosnia?? That name alone is scary.
Wait does this mean if they “topped the group” they still might get knocked out immediately? I’m confused how the bracket works. Like if they were first why is it suddenly not mattering? Seems backwards to me.
I hate when teams act like group games don’t matter. That’s how you get exposed in the first knockout match. Plus “only won once since 1930” is wild, I mean what are they even doing in practice? Hope Tim Ream doesn’t get tired out there, and why is it against Bosnia of all teams, seems random to me.