The United States are steaming headlong towards an era-defining 2026 World Cup on home soil, but there’s plenty of roadblocks along the way, with the FIFA championship still more than two years in the future.
Gregg Berhalter is back as head coach, having been re-hired after his contract expired at the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup, where the U.S. managed to reach the Round of 16 but fell to the Netherlands.
2024 will prove to be a vital year, punctuated by the Copa America in the summer as CONCACAF and CONMEBOL team up for a special edition of the South American continental championship.
They will also contest the final stages of the CONCACAF Nations League, before looking ahead to 2025 where they will look to perform in the Gold Cup with the 2026 World Cup rapidly approaching.
MORE: A full look at the USMNT roster for the CONCACAF Nations League finals in March
With Gregg Berhalter back at the helm, the United States will play through a massive 2024 calendar year that features matches against some of the world’s top international sides. The 2024 USMNT schedule is highlighted by participation in the Copa America, where they’ve been drawn into a tough group alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia.
They will also look to defend their CONCACAF Nations League title, with a difficult semifinal draw against a Jamaica side boasting one of its most talented rosters in the nation’s history. Should they win, they will meet either Mexico or Panama in the final, while a loss would see them play in the third place match.
MORE: A closer look at the USMNT’s draw and path forward at the 2024 Copa America
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The U.S. was drawn into an intriguing Group C for the 2024 Copa America, and will be expected to advance to the knockout stage from the four-team collection.
Their most difficult opponent will undoubtedly be Uruguay, who are in good form under Marcelo Bielsa having beaten both Argentina and Brazil in the early stages of CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying. They will also play group stage matches against Panama and Bolivia, with the top two teams in the Group C standings advancing to the knockout round.
If they qualify for the quarterfinals, they would face a team emerging from Group D, which features Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and a CONCACAF playoff qualifier, either Honduras or Costa Rica.
Group C standings
The U.S. got past Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals, thanks in large part to a 3-0 first leg win at home, which set them up for advancement. That result proved vital, as they dropped the second leg on the road 2-1 but advanced anyways thanks to their aggregate advantage.
They will now look ahead to March, 2024 where the Nations League will be concluded. First up is a semifinal matchup against Jamaica, and depending on that result, they will either play in the final or third place match against either Mexico or Panama.
Quarterfinal matchups were between four seeded teams, which earned a bye to this round, against four qualifiers from the group stage. They were contested across two legs back in November of 2023.
* Advanced on away goals tiebreaker
** Advanced via penalty shootout
To determine semifinal matchups, quarterfinal winners are re-seeded, placed in a table based on their results across the two quarterfinal legs.
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Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.
