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 U.S. Men’s Soccer Team Prepares for the World Cup

  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read


The United States men's national soccer team will announce its final team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday. The team hopes to have a strong tournament and possibly win its first World Cup title.


The final team must have between 23 and 26 players. The squad must also include at least three goalkeepers.


The United States is hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994. This time, the tournament will also take place in Mexico and Canada. In 1994, the U.S. reached the round of 16 before losing 1–0 to Brazil national football team.


The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11. Mexico will play against South Africa national soccer team in Mexico City. The U.S. will play its first match on June 12 against Paraguay national football team at SoFi Stadium in California.


Even though the United States has success in many sports, the men’s soccer team has not had great success in the World Cup. Since 1990, the team has only reached the quarterfinals one time. That happened in 2002 in Korea and Japan.


The U.S. did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup. In 2022, the team reached the knockout stage but lost 3–1 to Netherlands national football team.


The team now has a new coach, Mauricio Pochettino. He became coach in September 2024 after replacing Gregg Berhalter.


Under Pochettino, the U.S. team has played 24 matches. They have won 13 games, drawn 2 games, and lost 9 games.


The United States will play in Group D with Paraguay, Australia national soccer team, and Turkey national football team.


The group stage will last from June 11 to June 27. After that, the knockout stage will begin on June 28. The World Cup final will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.


📝 Worksheet


Part A — Vocabulary Match

Match the words to their meanings.

  1. roster

  2. tournament

  3. qualify

  4. goalkeeper

  5. knockout stage

a. the player who protects the goalb. a large sports competitionc. to earn the right to playd. the official list of players on a teame. the part of a tournament where losing means elimination


Part B — Fill in the Blanks

Use the words below:

(quarterfinals, coach, tournament, squad, final)

  1. The World Cup is the biggest soccer __________ in the world.

  2. The team’s __________ will be announced on Tuesday.

  3. Mauricio Pochettino is the new __________ of the U.S. team.

  4. The U.S. reached the __________ in 2002.

  5. The World Cup __________ will be on July 19.


Part C — True or False

  1. The U.S. is hosting the World Cup alone.

  2. The U.S. team must have at least three goalkeepers.

  3. The United States won the World Cup in 1994.

  4. Mauricio Pochettino became coach in 2024.

  5. The World Cup final will be played in New Jersey.


Part D — Comprehension Questions

  1. When will the U.S. announce its World Cup roster?

  2. How many players can be on the final team?

  3. Which countries are hosting the 2026 World Cup?

  4. Who will the U.S. play in its first match?

  5. Where will the U.S. play its first game?

  6. How far did the U.S. go in the 1994 World Cup?

  7. What happened to the U.S. team in 2018?

  8. Who is the current coach of the U.S. team?

  9. How many wins does the team have under Pochettino?

  10. Which teams are in Group D with the United States?


Part E — Discussion Questions

  1. Do you think the U.S. can have a successful World Cup? Why or why not?

  2. Which country do you think will win the World Cup?

  3. Why is soccer becoming more popular in the United States?

  4. Do you prefer watching soccer or playing soccer? Why?


✍️ Writing Activity

Write an essay about your favorite national soccer team.

Include:

  • the country

  • famous players or coaches

  • recent success or problems

  • your opinion about the team

 
 
 

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