Rusty Weiss
French soccer icon Emmanuel Petit has delivered a sobering assessment of the USMNT’s prospects at the World Cup, predicting they will defeat Bosnia but go no further in the tournament — while insisting that even a miraculous run through the field would fail to transform America into a soccer-loving country.
In an exclusive interview with Jackpot City Casino, the 1998 World Cup winner with France claimed the United States national team possesses enough talent to advance past Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
“I think they will be able to beat Bosnia, but Bosnia have good defensive structure, and they play for set pieces and corners. Bosnia will have a few chances to score, but they are not one of the best teams in the World Cup,” he said. “It won’t be an easy game, but I think the USA will qualify.”
Emmanuel Petit on USA officially advancing to the FIFA World Cup Round of 32:
— ᜰ 🇦🇷🇯🇵 (@markklfc) June 19, 2026
🗣️ “A lot of people underestimated the United States before this tournament started. They looked at the big football nations and completely ignored what this team was building.”
“Now look at them.… pic.twitter.com/8wBtV00liB
Petit Predicts Early USMNT Exit After Bosnia
However, Petit, despite being impressed with Team USA’s advancement to the knockout round, doesn’t expect them to go much further. He thinks the USMNT could run into serious trouble against stronger teams like Belgium or Senegal and predicts an early exit from the tournament.
Petit’s most striking comments, however, concern the bigger picture of soccer’s place in America. Even if the USMNT were to achieve the ultimate dream and lift the World Cup trophy, the 55-year-old believes it would have little lasting impact on the nation’s overall sporting landscape.
“Even if they won the World Cup, I don’t think it would change anything,” he predicted. “American people like what is American. This is their culture and the way they live. Even if they do something great, it won’t change the culture of the country.”
Will a World Cup Win Ever Change American Sports Culture?
The remarks highlight a persistent debate about soccer’s ability to break through in the world’s wealthiest sports market.
Despite growing investment in Major League Soccer, record TV audiences for recent tournaments, and a talented young US squad clearly generating excitement, one could still argue that the sport remains well behind American football, basketball, and baseball.
Would that remain the case if the whole country collectively lost its mind over a US win? Especially with President Trump promoting the hell out of it, which you know he would?
Experts predicted a surge in popularity when the women’s team won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019. It never panned out. Petit is right, Americans love their own sports.
