The U.S. men’s national team is now playing the waiting game.
The team clinched a spot in the Round of 32 at the World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia last week en route to winning Group D.
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With wins over Paraguay and Australia, the U.S. will finish atop the group regardless of the result of its final group stage match on Thursday. But the team’s opponent may not be determined until the completion of the group stage games on Saturday.
The top two finishers from each group and the eight best third-place teams advance – and teams from the same group are unable to meet again until the quarterfinals.
That means the U.S. will play a third-place team from one of multiple groups.
Here’s who the USMNT’s opponent could be in the Round of 32…
Who does the USMNT play next in the World Cup?
The USMNT will play a third-place team from Group B, E, F, I or J in the Round of 32. Below are potential opponents they might face based on the current standings and the prior to the tournament:
- Group B: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Group E: Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador and Curacao
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden
- Group I: Senegal and Iraq
- Group J: Austria, Algeria
When does the USMNT play in the World Cup?
The U.S. plays its final group stage match Thursday at 10 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California against Türkiye, which lost its first two matches and is yet to score a goal in the tournament.
The team will then play in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
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What is the USMNT’s World Cup schedule?
The Americans will return to Los Angeles Stadium for their final group game against Türkiye:
- June 12: USMNT 4, Paraguay 1
- June 19: USMNT 2, Australia 0
- June 25: USMNT vs. Türkiye, 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT/7 p.m. PT
When was the last time the USMNT made the Round of 16?
The USMNT reached the Round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, falling to the Netherlands 3-1. The team has reached the Round of 16 in three of the last four men’s tournaments.
Has the USMNT ever won the World Cup?
The USMNT has never won the World Cup.
What is the farthest the USMNT has gone in the World Cup?
The USMNT’s best finish was during the 1930 World Cup — the inaugural tournament featuring 13 teams — when it reached the semifinals and lost to Argentina 6-1. The U.S. last reached the quarterfinals in 2002, falling to Germany 1-0.
The U.S. women’s national team has won the World Cup four times – in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019.
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