Alex Morgan Sets Expectations for USMNT in 2026 World Cup

Alex Morgan, a two-time World Cup champion with the U.S. women’s national team, has offered her insights on the U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) as they head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With her championship experience, Morgan understands what it takes to succeed.

Commenting on the USMNT’s prospects during a recent ‘SportsCenter’ appearance, Morgan emphasized reaching the Round of 16 as a crucial goal. She noted, “I think that making it to the Round of 16 is probably kind of the threshold for this team. If we make it there, and we advance, that’s a huge success. If we make it there and we don’t [advance], I wouldn’t say that it’s a failure by any means.”

She highlighted the home advantage, adding, “We’re in the U.S. They have that momentum that they should feel — the excitement and that 12th man energy.” Morgan also pointed to the experience of the 13 returning players from the 2022 team, stating, “We’ve been here; we’ve done this before. Now, how can we continue to take this team even further?”

Among these returning players is Christian Pulisic, a key attacker, who shared his perspective with Newsweek. Pulisic expressed his desire for the team to perform without regrets, saying, “I don’t think it’s necessary to pick how far we have to go for it to be a success or not.” He added, “We want to win the World Cup. You’re never gonna be excited anytime you go out. For us, I just think it’s looking back with no regrets and feeling like we left everything out there.”

The USMNT has not surpassed the Round of 16 since reaching the quarterfinals in 2002, where they faced Germany. Their best finish was a semifinal appearance in 1930. The 2026 World Cup will commence with the USMNT facing Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, this Friday at 9 p.m. ET.