USMNT legend Clint Dempsey has made a surprise claim ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
He has set the bar for current United States soccer stars, ensuring the 2026 edition is not counted as a failure.
Clint Dempsey Sets the Bar Low for USMNT
The former Fulham star was on the Men in Blazers podcast this week when he was asked about his expectations for the USMNT at the World Cup. He has left everyone surprised by claiming that the only aim for the current players should be getting out of the group stage.
The 42-year-old believes that getting knocked out of the group stage would be a failure, while anything else would only help the sport become more mainstream in the country.
Dempsey said:
“I’m not going to put a ceiling on their success, but I’m going to put a floor. I mean, we got to get out of the group. Anything less than that is a failure. But can we make this country believe? Can we inspire the next generation? Can we make soccer where the needle is moved every year for that sport and it’s a mainstream sport in the States? Those are things that will make it a success.
“Inspire this country with your play and go out there and make us proud…You can win the whole thing. You get to the semi-finals, get to the quarterfinals, what have you. But, can you take it further than any national team has done before? For sure, they’re going to get to the Round of 32. If they don’t get to the Round of 32. I mean, I don’t even want to talk about that.”
The USA has been drawn with Paraguay and Australia at the World Cup group stage, with the final country set to seal their spot in the March playoffs. His comments are directly in contrast to those of USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino.
The former Chelsea manager claimed that they should not be setting goals of reaching the knockout stages, but instead focus on winning the tournament. He said on Futbol de Primera:
“For me, it’s about winning. I think if you don’t win, what does it matter? If you are second, nobody ever remembers. And I believe we should aspire to win it. I think we have to give ourselves credit and merit, but I think that if you look at Morocco in Qatar, I think they get where they get because they always had the mentality of saying, ‘I’m going to go for it, I’m going to win.'”
The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
