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May 31, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; United States of America forward Christian Pulisic (10) reacts after scoring in the first half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Goalkeeper Tim Howard is one of the most legendary players in the history of the United States Men’s National Team. Unfortunately, even he does not think the team has a chance of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The United States has gotten off to a hot start in the World Cup so far, beating Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0 to clinch the top spot in Group D before even playing its final match of the group stage. But despite the dominant start to the tournament, Howard still thinks it’s unrealistic for the USMNT to actually win the tournament.
Howard is legitimately one of the greatest players in team history. He’s made more appearances with the USMNT than any other goalkeeper in history, with 121 caps between 2002 and 2017. He also still holds the all-time record for the most saves in a World Cup match with 16 saves against Belgium in the Round of 16 back in 2014.
Obviously, Howard knows soccer, he knows the World Cup, and he has plenty of experience. Unfortunately for the USMNT, Howard’s expertise has led him to believe that it’s “literally impossible” for the United States to win the tournament.
“The U.S. cannot, unequivocally, win the World Cup,” Howard said on his “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast alongside former USMNT teammate Landon Donovan. “The U.S. will have to play the greatest game they’ve ever played…four games in a row. Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals.
“It’s literally impossible for the U.S. to win the World Cup. That’s just the reality.”
Donovan, meanwhile, was a bit more optimistic about the team’s chances while still acknowledging that it would be unprecedented.
“Can we? Yes. Has this group proven they can beat a top team? No,” Donovan said. “If they play the way they’re playing, they can absolutely compete with any team in this World Cup. For sure.”
“I’ve said this over and over. Can you do it four times in a row? Can you do it in the round of 16, the quarter, the semi, the final. That is where it gets really hard,” Donovan continued. “But momentum gets going, you never know.”
With back-to-back victories in the tournament, the United States has already done something that it hadn’t done since the inaugural World Cup back in 1930. We’ll have to see whether or not the team can continue that trajectory.
The post ‘Literally impossible’: Tim Howard says USMNT ‘cannot’ win World Cup appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.
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