You may fall into different camps about who you want to see the U.S. men’s national team play against in the group phase at the World Cup. A bunch of low-ranked teams? A gauntlet of star-laden opponents? Familiar foes? Unknown opponents? All of the above?
If that’s the case, then this potential group will provide plenty of drama and an unhealthy dose of heartburn. FOX Sports analysts and U.S. men’s team greats Landon Donovan, Stu Holden, Cobi Jones, and Alexi Lalas put together the worst-case scenario for the USMNT.
Pot 2: Uruguay
FIFA World Ranking: 16
Qualifying record: 7W-7D-4L
Top scorer: Darwin Núñez (5 goals)
Donovan: Despite the 5-1 thrashing of Uruguay very recently for our U.S. team, that is a really dangerous opponent. They won’t be bothered by the weather or the travel. There won’t be a massive Uruguayan contingent, but their fans are passionate, and it’s just a team that, when they’re all full strength, they’re very dangerous. And by the way: getting beat 5-1 by the U.S. and then being placed in our group? It would be an absolute revenge game for them. This is a team I would not want to face. That would be a worst-case scenario for me.
Holden: I’m with you. You think of the Uruguay of the past with Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Godín, but now they’ve got Darwin Núñez, and they just have this ruthlessness about them. I’m also looking at another South American team in Pot 2. If I was to say another one it would maybe be Morocco, but more so Colombia. I just think seeing what they did at the Copa América in 2024, even in the pre-friendlies, the U.S. played them a got absolutely thrashed. They’re a team that can run the score up on you 6-0, 7-0. Luis Diaz is electric. They’re going to bring one of the biggest parties off of the field that we’ve seen in a World Cup. It’s a very dangerous, high-octane team.
Pot 3: Norway
FIFA World Ranking: 29
Qualifying record: 8W-0D-0L
Top scorer: Erling Haaland (16 goals)
Jones: When you’ve got Erling Haaland, “The Viking,” arguably (and I don’t even know who would argue against it) the best striker in the world playing up against you, I don’t think the U.S. wants to see that. And then you talk about Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb, the wingers that Norway has and how they’re electric 1-v-1 in dribbling and taking you on. Martin Odegaard and his fantastic left foot. They’re good all the way around, solid. I may be jinxing them a bit here, but is this their Golden Generation?
Holden: In a one-off game, do you take the U.S. or Norway?
Jones: Right now, unfortunately, I would probably say Norway.
Donovan: They’re way better than a Pot 3 team. They’re not a Pot 1 team. It’s just recently that this form has come, so it hasn’t caught up yet.
Holden: But doing it in qualifying is different from doing it in a World Cup.
Jones: Very true, but look at Haaland and what he has done: 16 goals in the UEFA qualifying process; the closest person to him has eight goals. I mean, that’s insane.
Donovan: This is what I think about: our U.S. team, in the recent friendlies that we’ve played, you play against some decent strikers. If you have to play against a player like that, it is a nightmare. It’s a nightmare in a World Cup. You get isolated in a 1-v-1, it’s a disaster.
Holden: He’s dunking on you.
Pot 4: Ghana
FIFA World Ranking: 72
Qualifying record: 8W-1D-1L
Top scorer: Jordan Ayew (7 goals)
Lalas: History matters and Ghana is in Pot 4 — it’s going to be Ghana. This isn’t a great Ghana team, but it’s still Ghana, and we have plenty of history playing against Ghana.
Holden: Give me Ghana.
Donovan: I want to play them. I want to get over that hurdle. For my personal sake, I want some vindication.
Holden: 2010 still hurts, man. We had ’em.
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