The United States hosted 11 cities and 78 matches, opened with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, and then went home earlier than hoped. A full review of the USMNT's home World Cup.

This guide covers the opening win and the early promise, where it went wrong, the numbers behind the tournament, and what comes next for the usmnt. Each section explains the topic with concrete examples, so you can use what you learn straight away.

The United States opened their home World Cup with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, the biggest statement result of the group stage for the hosts. The team played in Group D alongside Türkiye, Australia and Paraguay, and the opening win raised hopes of a deep run in front of home crowds. For a few days, the story was simple: the hosts were here to compete, not just to organise.

The USMNT exited earlier than fans hoped, and ticket prices for quarter-final matches fell sharply once all three host nations were out. The team struggled to break down organised defences and lacked a reliable goalscorer when games got tight in the knockout rounds. The quarter-final exit, and the sight of empty seats in later rounds, turned the conversation from celebration to inquest.

The United States hosted 11 of the 16 host cities and 78 of the 104 matches, by far the biggest share of any host nation. Bank of America estimated the economic impact at close to $20 billion, below the pre-tournament projections of more than $30 billion, and international air arrivals in June grew just 0.2% year on year. The tournament still set attendance records and filled stadiums across the country, but the economic return was smaller than promised.

The next target is the 2030 World Cup, and the 2026 experience showed exactly what the team needs: a proven striker and a midfield that can control games against top sides. The infrastructure is now in place, with world-class stadiums and a generation of players who have tasted a home World Cup. The challenge is to turn hosting experience into footballing progress, because the next home tournament is a long way away.