Rusty Weiss
Even with the U.S. Men’s National Team riding high after a blistering start to the 2026 World Cup on home soil, former goalkeeper Tim Howard isn’t buying into the title hype.
The USMNT legend, who earned 121 caps and delivered iconic performances, including his heroics in 2014, joined his former teammate Landon Donovan on their “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast and delivered a sobering reality check. A brutal reality check, if we’re being honest.
“The U.S. cannot, unequivocally, win the World Cup,” he said. “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.”
USMNT legend goalkeeper Tim Howard saying "it's literally impossible for the U.S. to win a World Cup" 😯🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/pB8mNwkNhv
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) June 21, 2026
Tim Howard Delivers Brutal Reality Check
That’ll surely put a damper on the US soccer fanbase, which has been in a fever dream over the squad’s first two performances on the pitch. That’s not to say the team’s efforts thus far have been anything short of phenomenal.
Howard’s comments come right after the Americans cruised through Group D with impressive wins. They kicked things off with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay — the most goals the U.S. has ever scored in a single World Cup match — and followed it up with a clean 2-0 shutout against Australia. Those results secured first place in the group and a spot in the Round of 32, marking one of the strongest group-stage showings in USMNT history.
Donovan Pushes Back With Optimism
Donovan pushed back with a bit more optimism, admitting that the team still needs to prove it can take down a true powerhouse, but insisting that momentum matters.
“Can we? Yes. Has this group proven they can beat a top team? No,” Donovan countered. “If they play the way they’re playing, they can absolutely compete with any team in this World Cup. For sure.”
He suggested a Cinderella run through the knockouts isn’t out of the question if things keep clicking.
Still, Howard’s point lands with the weight of experience. In a 48-team tournament, reaching the final means navigating four straight do-or-die matches against the world’s best. The expanded format makes the path longer and tougher than ever.
One big question mark hovering over the squad is captain Christian Pulisic’s fitness. He sat out the Australia game with a calf issue, and his status for the final group match against Türkiye — and any knockout games — will be huge. With advancement already locked up, Pochettino might rest some starters to keep everyone fresh.
Now that the knockout rounds are right around the corner, the big question is whether this USMNT side can shut up the skeptics and ride that huge home crowd energy all the way to something magical. Howard can say it’s impossible all he wants, but we’ve seen it plenty of times in sports — the best stories usually start when everybody’s saying it can’t happen.
