‘Win the whole thing!’ - Gregg Berhalter sets USMNT ambitious target for 2026 World Cup on home soil

The United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, but they will be extreme outsiders to win the tournament on home soil. The furthest the USMNT has gone in a modern World Cup is the quarter-finals, a feat they achieved in 2002. Despite that, head coach Berhalter believes his side should be aiming for the top prize.

Berhalter told NBC: "We want to win the whole thing. I know that’s really hard, and when you hear it you’re like, ‘Come on, Gregg,’ but honestly it’s about trying to win the World Cup, doing every single thing it takes to win the World Cup. We only have to be better than the team we are playing that day."

The USMNT will automatically qualify for the 48-team tournament due to being co-hosts. Avoiding accidents against Trinidad & Tobago on Monday, their World Cup preparations will include the 2024 Copa America. Berhalter admitted that facing lower-ranked nations in qualifying is not ideal preparation for his side, so playing the likes of Brazil and Argentina next summer could prove extremely helpful.

The USMNT have one foot in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League after beating T&T 3-0 in their quarter-final first leg earlier this week. After the second leg, Berhalter will have to think about how to prepare his side for the Copa America next summer.