For the type of U.S.national men’s team fan who’s mainly plugged into the American squad during World Cups, it may come as a surprise to learn how much tension there is between some of the program’s all-time greats and the U.S. players who will kick off the 2026 tournament against Paraguay on Friday.
This friction came to a head last summer.
Star forward Christian Pulisic was criticized by U.S. legends Landon Donovan and Tim Howard for skipping the Concacaf Gold Cup citing fatigue; his father clapped back at Donovan on social media.
Eric Wynalda, scorer of a perfect free kick in 1994 that was as important as it was beautiful, never pulls punches when asked about the current generation; nor does his former teammate and my FOX Sports colleague Alexi Lalas. Their successors clearly haven’t appreciated the takes, even when the feedback was warranted and fair. Tim Weah went as far as to call the old guard “evil” in 2025, an assessment he still stood by months later.
But that’s not the whole story.
“I have a different point of view because I played a little bit with these guys,” former U.S. striker Jozy Altidore, who trails only Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the program’s all-time goal list, told me and other reporters before the World Cup co-hosts trained outside of Atlanta two weeks ago. “A lot of those [older] guys, maybe they don’t know them as well.”
Jozy Altidore played alongside Christian Pulisic in 10 matches with the united States. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Altidore lined up alongside Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Tim Ream and other current USA mainstays through the 2019 Gold Cup final, his last international match. And he’s more bullish about the home team’s chances than any other alum, having predicted nothing less than U.S. captain Ream hoisting the World Cup trophy following the final in New York-New Jersey on July 19.
Yet while most others are tempering their expectations, the idea that Mauricio Pochettino’s players don’t have the backing of the men who came before them simply isn’t accurate.
In the weeks leading up to the biggest World Cup in history, I asked a half-dozen former U.S. veterans how they think the national team will fare this summer.
Their answers paint a different picture:
Brad Guzan, Goalkeeper (2010, 2014): “That’s the question that everyone keeps asking: What is the ceiling here? I keep saying I’m excited.”
Maurice Edu, Midfielder (2010): “These guys are incredibly blessed to have this opportunity, and I know they’re going to make the most of it.”
Gregg Berhalter, Center Back (2002, 2006, coach in 2022): “What I would say about this group — and specifically about the 13 players that are returning from the last World Cup — is that they’re extremely motivated, they’re extremely dedicated to representing their country, and they know how to perform under pressure.”
Gregg Berhalter coached the U.S. to a Round of 16 finished at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Tab Ramos, Midfielder (1990, 1994, 1998): “The tough part for this team is that they’re supposed to win now. That’s a much more difficult place to be than all the previous teams that we’ve had in the past.”
Tony Meola, Goalkeeper (1990, 1994, 2002): “Just talking to some [current] players over the last couple of months, they’re hoping to have a great month, five weeks, and do something really, really special.”
Jozy Altidore, Striker (2010, 2014): “I’m incredibly supportive of this group, because I’ve been on the inside. I know how they think and what they want to accomplish.”
Ramos: “If you look at who they play in the first round, they’re really favorites against all three teams. I mean, you could argue about Türkiye, right? But, of course, we’re happy with our group. We really couldn’t have done a whole lot better.”
Guzan: “Mauricio clearly has an idea of what he wants, and he selected the 26 players that he feels can give him the best opportunity to be successful.”
The U.S. has a record of 14 wins, nine losses, and two draws under Mauricio Pochettino. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Edu: “These guys know they have talent, they know that they’re capable of doing something special. I’m looking forward to seeing them go out there and proving it to themselves. We’re past the point of trying to prove other people wrong.”
Ramos: “If you’re Paraguay or Australia, you’re happy with this group, too. They drew the U.S. and not Germany or Brazil or Argentina, right? So, I think it’ll be tough. But this U.S. team can be so good in many different ways. I know people will argue this, but I think we have a good player in every position.”
Guzan: “If we’re able to play how we played against Senegal and Germany in the three group games, get out of the group and then advance into the knockouts and continue to play like that, I think we can truly do something special.”
Meola: “What these guys don’t realize is how many lives of people who aren’t into soccer today, as you and I talk, but a month from now will be into soccer for the rest of their lives because of them.”
Berhalter: “There’s no doubt in my mind that these guys will step up. This is what they were made for.”
Guzan: “Who’s to say we can’t make a run, win a knockout round, go on to the round of 16 and upset a so-called big soccer country?”
Ramos: “I’ll tell you what: if we get into the round of 16, which we should, and draw a good opponent, I think we win that game. Because as underdogs, we’re going to be much better.”
Altidore: “It’s a fantastic group of players, a fantastic group of young men, and I couldn’t be prouder of the 26 that were selected here. And for me, they have my full support.”
Berhalter: “This is their moment. Everything that we built during the six years I was there [as the coach] was to get to this moment. They know that, and they’re ready.”
Edu: “Now it’s just a matter of them going out there and proving themselves right.”
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