The United States men’s national soccer team made it to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup 2026. They played Belgium for a chance to make it to the quarterfinals, but were handed a devastating 4-1 loss.
That loss and the fact that the USA is one of the host countries have sparked conversations about the state of US soccer. CFB analyst Dan Wetzel explained why the team fell short in the tournament.
“I think one of the things that a lot of Americans do is say, ‘If only our greatest athletes played soccer,’” he said on Get Up ESPN. “That’s not really it … it’s not about the NFL Combine or how fast you can run a 40-yard dash. It’s about balance and spatial awareness and decision-making.
“It’s much more of a skill than pure athleticism,” Wetzel added. “It’s really the training that our young people are getting, particularly from ages five to 13 or 14 … I think that’s where we’re lacking.”
Wetzel pushed back on the idea that if an athlete like LeBron James focused on soccer, then the US soccer team would be dominant. He believes that it’s more about the lack of development and infrastructure in the country for young and aspiring soccer players.
The USA has one of the best sports infrastructures in the world, and as a result, they have successful leagues like the NBA, the NFL, and the MLB. However, the infrastructure hasn’t expanded to give soccer the same attention yet.
According to Wetzel, if they start developing players from a young age, focusing on their skill development, and give them incentives as they do in other sports, US soccer will emerge as a dominant force on a global scale.
Dan Wetzel Criticized Team USA’s Performance At The FIFA World Cup
Wetzel wrote an article for ESPN, highlighting the need for the U.S. to fix its youth soccer system. In his opinion, the loss against Belgium exposed Team USA. He said that the loss showed how the team fell apart against strong opposition.
“The Belgians didn’t just outclass the Americans; they outworked and outhustled them, too. They were tougher physically, yes, but mostly mentally. The U.S. too often looked soft, weak and overwhelmed,” Wetzel wrote.
During the group stage matchups, Team USA looked completely different. They won 4-1 over Paraguay and 2-0 over Australia. In the Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina, they won 2-0, making people believe that they could cause trouble for teams in the knockout stage.
But the moment they faced a strong side, Team USA crumbled on the biggest stage.
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