So, you turned on the United States' World Cup game last night and saw them blow Paraguay out of the water. You're not really a soccer fan, but you like sports and want to get in on the fun, plus it's nice to feel good about America?
Welcome to the bandwagon! Here's what you need to know to get up to speed.
The players
Christian Pulisic – He's probably the best soccer player America has ever produced. He's from Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is cool. He plays for AC Milan, a massive club in Italy and one of the bigger teams in the world. In the fall, he was playing like one of the best players in the world, and then didn't score from January until right before the World Cup. When he plays well, the team does well.
Weston McKennie – He's from Texas, he's one of Pulisic's best friends, and he's a baller. He also plays in Italy for Juventus, and he's become one of their most important players, despite the fact that they seem to want to get rid of him every summer. He's positionally a midfielder, but spiritually he's a vibe merchant. He's at his best getting forward and improvising near the goal. Also, his goal celebration is a Harry Potter wand flick.
Harry McKennie ⚡️🧙🏽#SerieATIM #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/P6p0fhFHJf
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 27, 2021
Chris Richards – The most important defender on the team. He's from Birmingham, Alabama, and has played for Bayern Munich, the biggest team in Germany and one of the best in the world. Now he plays for Crystal Palace in London, England. He's dominant in the air and pretty good with the ball at his feet. He was hurt heading into the World Cup, and a lot of people worried he wouldn't be able to play, but he's fine.
Tyler Adams – The man is a bulldog. Raised in New Jersey and a product of the New York Red Bulls, he lives for crunching tackles and winning the ball back in midfield. He can run for days and does all the work so the attacking players can do their thing. He's one of the real leaders of this team. He also has a tricky history with injuries, so keeping him healthy is ultra-important.
Folarin Balogun – He was born in the United States, but grew up in England, where he played for Arsenal. Now, he plays in Monaco and is one of the best attackers in France. He's one of the most dangerous attackers the United States has ever had, and just became the first American to score multiple goals in a World Cup game since 1930.
Gio Reyna – Where to start? He's one of the most talented players in American history but has never been able to put it together for his club. Injuries and attitude issues haven't helped. He was part of a big scandal after the last World Cup, where his parents (his dad used to play for the United States) dug up a bunch of dirt on the coach because they were mad about his playing time. He's grown up a lot since then and should be a super sub.
🇺🇸🧊 Gio Reyna trivela. Perfect angle pic.twitter.com/wlppRKD5P7
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) June 13, 2026
Sebastian Berhalter – The coach who got blackmailed? Yeah, that was Seb's dad. So that's fun. But he's not a nepo baby – he's one of the best midfielders in MLS. He's a dawg like Tyler Adams, but he's also really good on the ball and is probably the best free-kick taker on the team.
• "Nil" – Soccer's word for zero. As in "the Americans won 4-nil." Say this instead of "four to nothing," and people will think you played club soccer until you were 17.
• "Concacaf" – The governing body for soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Pronounced "CON-ka-kaf". If you can say it correctly you're ahead of the game.
• "Cap" – How many times a player has appeared for their country. "He's played 50 times" = "he has 50 caps". Back in the day they used to actually get a hat.
• "VAR" – Video Assistant Referee. Soccer's version of instant replay.
• "Hydration break" – The World Cup is doing mandatory "hydration breaks" midway through each half, even for indoor stadiums or games where it's nice weather. This is just an excuse to sell ads and is antithetical to the soul of the game.
• "Thunderbastard" – A really, really good goal, almost exclusively scored from long range. This should be reserved only for the most special occasions.
How they got here
After they fully missed out on the 2018 World Cup (that was a disaster that we still don't like to talk about), they fielded the youngest team at the 2022 World Cup. They had some good moments, including a draw against England and a win against Iran, but lost in the Round of 16 to the Netherlands. It's mostly the same group of players back for 2026, and they didn't have to qualify for the tournament since they're hosting.
This tournament is one of the biggest moments for soccer in North America. Everyone in the world will be watching the tournament, and tons of fans from all over are coming to watch games. It's a chance to show off the country to the world, and it's also an opportunity for soccer to finally make it here. MLS is a strong league, but it's still pretty niche compared to the NFL, NBA, and MLB. A lot of people hope this tournament gets people on board.
How they play
Their head coach is Mauricio Pochettino, who played for Argentina as a player and has coached some of the biggest clubs in the world. He's made them much more fluid and unpredictable in attack. They like to push players forward into the attack, with midfielders like McKennie or Malik Tillman running in behind the opposing defenders.
They're still inconsistent, and over the last year, they've had some results that made you wonder if they were actually ready for this tournament. Over the last month, though, they've put in some really good performances, beating Senegal and losing a tight match to Germany in their warmup matches before the tournament.
They're definitely not one of the elite teams in the world, but they can hang with those guys and even pull off a surprise result or two. Think the 2023 Detroit Lions; they have some exciting pieces, they're building real momentum, and no one really wants to play them, but not a Super Bowl contender just yet.
• America's 4-1 win over Paraguay was the most goals they've ever scored in a single World Cup match, breaking their three-goal record set all the way back in 1930.
• Folarin Balogun's brace makes him the first American to score multiple goals in a single game since 1930. He's now in the top five American scorers all-time at a World Cup, and he's only played one game.
• Sebastian Berhalter came off the bench, making him part of the 24th father-son duo in World Cup history to both play in a game, and the second for the United States. His father, Gregg Berhalter, coached the team in 2022 and played in 2002.
What you should watch for
With their win over Paraguay, the US are in great shape to get out of their group and get into the knockout rounds. The top two teams from each group advance, with the eight best third-place teams in the tournament also advancing.
In the group stage, teams get three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. A draw against Australia on Friday will all but guarantee the US get out of the group.
The knockout rounds are much trickier, and there's a good chance they'll run into a powerhouse like Belgium or Argentina, but they're capable of an upset! Also, host nations have historically over-performed. If there was ever a tournament for America to go on a deep run, it's this one!
What you should do next
Grab yourself some USA-themed merch and head to a watch party! Watching games with other fans is infinitely more fun, and it's a great way to get connected with the game.
If you're in Nashville, there are plenty of options for the upcoming games!
🇺🇸 USA vs TÜRKIYE 🇹🇷 (June 25 – 9pm CT)
• Nashville SC – Nashville SC is hosting watch parties. Their June 19 party is at Centennial Park, their June 25 party is at Geodis Park on the plaza. Family friendly with other activities.
• Tailgate Brewery (Music Row) – The American Outlaws meet here, and they shut down the parking lot and put up a giant screen. It's a vibe.
• Fogg Street Lawn Club – This is an awesome venue downtown, and they're showing all the World Cup games, not just USMNT.
• Fleet Street Pub (Printer's Alley) – An English-style pub with a fantastic vibe. They're not hosting any official watch parties, but games will be on.
• Plaza Mariachi (Antioch) – If you're looking to watch some non-US games, this is a fantastic spot to watch Mexico games, with some of the best food in Nashville.
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