USA tops Group B and advances for World Cup Round of 32

The United States secured position D1 with one match to play in Group Stage.

MIAMI – The United States of America has secured its place in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, becoming one of the first Concacaf nations to advance to the tournament’s new knockout phase.

After two matches in Group D, The United States has positioned itself to continue its pursuit of a deep run on home soil, with one Group Stage match remaining before the Knockout Round begins.

By virtue of its wins against Paraguay and Australia, Mauricio Pochettino’s squad owns the tiebreakers against the teams that could match them on points in Group D.

"Even if I'm not American, after the game I was emotional because I think the atmosphere was amazing, the fans were amazing. The warm reception, the way they support us and the way they celebrate the victory, they make it feel very emotional, and the players were very emotional too", said coach Mauricio Pochettino after the win in Seattle.

A Historic Step into a New Round

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams and a Round of 32. The U.S. became the second nation to pen their name into the Round of 32.

The USA will conclude play in Group D facing Türkiye on June 25, as it prepares to enter the elimination phase of the tournament.

USA’s Tournament So Far

The United States began the tournament with a 4-1 win against Paraguay in Los Angeles, thanks to goals from Folarin Balogun, Giovanni Reyna and an own goal.

The co-hosts then followed that result with a 2-0 win against Australia in Seattle, with the winning goal from Alex Freeman.

Matt Freese and the U.S. backline have been nearly impenetrable with only one goal conceded through its first two matches.

Potential Round of 32 Opponents

By securing the top of the group, USA will face a third-place team from either Group B, E, F, I or J in the Round of 32.

Several nations remain in contention for those places, meaning the United States could face a variety of opponents depending on final group stage results.

Among the potential rivals for the U.S. are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar (Group B), Ecuador, Curaçao (Group E), Sweden or Japan (Group F), Senegal, Norway or Iraq (Group I) and Austria, Jordan or Algeria (Group J).

Key Stats

• Folarin Balogun leads the USA with two goals scored and most scoring attempts (7), and most pressing applied (52).
• Malik Tillman leads the team with most crosses (10), and most receptions between midfield and defensive line (41).
• Weston McKennie is the player who has covered the most distance for his nation (22.57 km)
• Chris Richards leads the U.S. with 173 passes.

What’s Next for USA?

The United States will conclude its group stage schedule against Türkiye on Thursday, June 25, 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local) as part of Matchday Three.

While the final standings in Group D have yet to be determined, the U.S. is assured the top of the group based on its results so far.

Looking ahead to the Knockout Phase, USA will face a third-place team from either Group B, E, F, I or J in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, July 1, 8:00 PM ET (5:00 PM local), in the San Francisco Bay Area.