Five games, one heartbreaking exit, and a squad report card that reads better in some columns than others. The United States' 2026 World Cup campaign is over, and the player-by-player evidence tells a nuanced story: a core of genuine quality surrounded by costly individual errors at the worst possible moments.

McKennie and Tillman: the standouts

Weston McKennie was the only American to start all five matches, logging 444 minutes for Mauricio Pochettino's side. He led the squad in chances created with eight, covered an extraordinary 57,573 metres across the tournament, and earned an A- grade from those tracking the campaign closely. Of the so-called 'Golden Generation' players in the squad, McKennie and midfielder Tyler Adams were, by some distance, the most consistent.

Malik Tillman ran him close. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder scored two free-kick goals — one a deliberate strike over the wall against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the second a deflected effort that briefly drew the USA level with Belgium — and created seven chances in 356 minutes. He also won 23 possessions, tying Antonee Robinson for the team lead. Grade: A-.

Richards solid, Freeman a revelation

Crystal Palace centre-back Chris Richards was arguably the squad's most important player when fit. His passing completion rate against Paraguay was reported at 100% across 84 attempts — a borderline extraordinary figure — and he led the team in defensive contributions both in total (41) and per 90 minutes (10.3). His tournament ended on a low note, with Romelu Lukaku getting the better of him, but the broader body of work merited a B+.

The more surprising positive was Alex Freeman. The 21-year-old Villarreal right-back, barely on the radar a couple of years ago, led the squad with 14 tackles across his four starts and topped the first-choice players in both ground duel success (67.6%) and aerial duel success (73.7%). He also contributed a memorable World Cup goal. Grade: A-.

Where it went wrong

Goalkeeper Matt Freese, one of the few members of the squad with no European club experience, was caught in a costly moment of hesitation against Belgium — venturing far from his line before failing to clear, allowing the Red Devils to score into a near-empty net from 25 yards. His clean sheet against Bosnia and Herzegovina offered some balance, but the Belgium error was the defining image of a C-grade tournament.

Christian Pulisic, long the most recognisable name in US football, fell short of expectations. The source does not detail his specific statistics in the section available, but his grade sits below the tournament's better performers — a significant disappointment for a player of his profile at a home World Cup.

Captain Tim Ream, 38, was solid in his first three matches but was exposed in too many foot races as the tournament progressed, and was unfortunate to be caught covering for Freese when Belgium's third goal went in.

The bigger picture

Pochettino's future remains uncertain, according to reports, as US Soccer weighs its options following the exit. The market will have its own view on what comes next. What the player ratings suggest, at least, is that the foundation is not as broken as the result might imply. Freeman and Richards represent a centre-back and right-back pairing that could anchor the next cycle, and Tillman's set-piece quality is a genuine weapon. The question is whether the next manager can build a more reliable structure around them — and whether Pulisic and others have one more tournament in them to make it count.

FAQs

Frequently asked

How did Weston McKennie perform at the 2026 World Cup?
McKennie was one of the USA's best players, starting all five matches, leading the squad in chances created with eight, and covering over 57,000 metres across the tournament. He earned an A- grade from those assessing the campaign.
Why did the USMNT get knocked out of the 2026 World Cup?
The United States were eliminated after five matches in disappointing fashion. Individual errors — most notably goalkeeper Matt Freese's costly hesitation against Belgium — proved decisive, though the squad's overall performances were mixed rather than uniformly poor.
Who was the best young player for the USA at the 2026 World Cup?
Alex Freeman, the 21-year-old Villarreal right-back, was arguably the tournament's standout young performer for the USA. He led the squad in tackles, topped the first-choice players in duel success rates, and contributed a notable goal, earning an A- grade.