The World Cup Is Still Two Years Away. The U.S. Soccer Freakout Has Already Started.

As the Copa America kicks off this week in the U.S. for just the second time ever, the American men’s national team will have the rare opportunity to compete with the likes of Lionel Messi’s Argentina for the right to be called the best soccer team on this side of the planet.

But a tournament that should be a measuring stick for how far the U.S. has come has instead turned into a dangerous tripwire for the team and its coach, Gregg Berhalter, on the road to an even bigger event heading to American shores: the 2026 World Cup.

“Every time we step into this environment, I think the expectations rise,” defender Mark McKenzie said. “We demand more of ourselves.” This may just be the most significant period in the history of the U.S. men’s program. From the nadir of missing the 2018 World Cup to hosting in 2026 with a generation of young talent on elite European clubs, this should be its coming of age. And yet, fans can’t stop fretting over Berhalter, a 50-year-old former defender from New Jersey, obsessed with hip sneakers and the Netherlands.