Different Times, Different Expectations

At the 1990 World Cup, the United States entered as tourists.  They're the first ones to admit it.  They were a bunch of college kids who were happy to be there.  And why wouldn't they be?  It was the first time the U.S. had qualified in 40 years.  That alone was an achievement worth celebrating.  And they got to play Italy in front of 80,000 fans in Rome.  Nobody expected them to be any good, and they weren't.

The 1990 World Cup was important for what was to come four years later, however.  Hosting the World Cup in 1994 was huge for soccer in the United States.  Not much was expected from the team then, either, but the experience of being there in 1990 (overmatched or not) cannot be overstated.  There was no pressure on them, but they still wanted to put forth a good showing for the home fans.  And they did, upsetting Colombia in group play and holding their own in a Round of 16 loss to eventual champion Brazil.

Of course, there was a concerted effort to make sure the USMNT put on a good showing in their home World Cup.  That investment was just the start.  Then came the World Cup itself, which was the most financially successful tournament in history.  That funding helped launch MLS and grassroots programs across the country, not to mention turning the women's team into a powerhouse.  The effects of the 1994 World Cup are still being felt.

Fast forward 32 years as the United States hosts the World Cup for a second time.  Look no further than the expectations on this team to see how far soccer has come in this country.  In 1994, it was hoping they'd get out of the group.  In 2026, some would consider it a disappointment if they didn't win the group.  The talk is more about how far they'll advance in the knockout stage.  There's even been some chatter about the United States winning the whole thing!

While expecting the U.S. to win the World Cup (even on home soil) is a bit of a stretch, the fact that it's even thrown out there as a possibility shows how far this team has come.  The U.S. has shown it can compete on the world stage.  Everyone knows they're good.  American players are starters on some of the top club teams in Europe.  Those players understand the opportunity in front of them and those expectations...and they embrace it!

Thinking it's even possible for the United States men to win the World Cup used to be a ludicrous idea.  It no longer is.  Will they win the 2026 World Cup?  Probably not.  But that's not the point.  The fact that people think they can is.  And it speaks volumes.  Just as the fact that there's potential for people to be disappointed speaks volumes.

In 1994, no American soccer players were household names.  Sure, players like Alexi Lalas and Tony Meola and Cobi Jones became household names later on, mostly because of the tournament, but, for the most part, they were anonymous.  In 2026, that's far from the case.  Christian Pulisic isn't just a household name for American fans, he's recognized as one of the best players in the world.  Most of the squad, Pulisic included, is European-based, and American players are regulars in the Champions League.

It was a slow and gradual process to get here, of course.  At the 1998 World Cup, the United States finished last.  Then they made the quarterfinals in 2002 before failing to get out of the group in 2006.  Then they beat Spain to make the final of the Confederations Cup in 2009 and won their group at the 2010 World Cup.  That all led to rock bottom in 2017, when the U.S. was eliminated in World Cup qualifying and didn't even go to Russia!

That might be the biggest indication of how the United States' place in the global soccer hierarchy has changed.  Certainly within CONCACAF at the very least.  When the U.S. qualified for its first World Cup in four decades in 1989, it was a big moment.  When they didn't qualify in 2017, it was equally big.  For a totally different reason.  Qualifying for the World Cup had become the bare minimum expectation.  (So is performing well in regional tournaments.  A terrible Copa America performance at home in 2024 is what got Gregg Berhalter fired.)  That wouldn't have happened without the investment that's been put into soccer (in many different ways) since the 1994 World Cup.

FIFA knew they were taking a risk by awarding the 1994 World Cup to the U.S.  There was no professional league and soccer was more of a curiosity than anything else.  Then a record number of fans filled the stadiums.  It led to a soccer boom.  It led to the 2026 World Cup being a completely different experience for everyone involved.

Soccer's not a curiosity anymore.  Every week, people are watching the Premier League on Saturday mornings and the Champions League during the week.  Everybody has "their" team in one of the European leagues.  Domestically, MLS, which was founded as one of the conditions to host in 1994, just celebrated its 30th anniversary and is thriving.  There are 30 teams, many of which have their own soccer-specific stadiums.

None of this would've been possible if not for the 1994 World Cup.  It's what turned the United States into a soccer country.  It'll never get to the point of popularity as it is in the rest of the world.  It'll never be on the same level as baseball, basketball, hockey and "the other" football.  But that's OK.  That doesn't mean the American soccer fan doesn't exist.  And those American soccer fans will help make the 2026 World Cup a spectacle.  A spectacle where they expect to see their team perform well.

While I'm too young to remember what the level of hype was heading into the 1994 World Cup, I can't imagine it being anywhere close to the degree of anticipation that surrounded this year's tournament.  The World Cup being back in the United States is a big deal.  With the excitement to match.  Sure, the ticket prices are exorbitant, but people wouldn't be complaining about the ticket prices if they didn't want to go.  And it isn't just because of the hype.

Hosting the World Cup is like hosting the Olympics.  It's only gonna happen once in your career if you're lucky.  For the USMNT in 1994, it was about the experience.  For the USMNT in 2026, it's about so much more than that.  The fact that there's a possibility of fans being disappointed in their performance says all you need to know about the difference 32 years can make.