U.S. National Team Aims High in World Cup
SEATTLE — The U.S. national soccer team feels it has a real shot at winning the World Cup.
And now, it seems they’re even persuading those outside the team.
Among the supporters is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the noted Swedish player and current commentator on Fox.
When asked on Friday if he thinks the U.S. can clinch its first World Cup title, the former star simply replied, “Yes.” He made this statement following the U.S. victory over Australia, which advanced them to the round of 32.
But the team has its sights set even higher. They not only topped their group for just the third time, but they did it with relative ease, which has shifted expectations.
It’s a bit like progressing from hurdles to high jump. Winning the World Cup? That’s comparable to pole vaulting. Yet, that’s their ambition, and they’re slowly getting others to believe in it too.
“That’s the mindset we have. I don’t think we approach this tournament without that mindset,” said center-back Auston Trusty, reflecting on Ibrahimovic’s words. Was it just praise? Or maybe a prophecy?
“We’re focusing on each game as it comes; that’s all we can really do. It’s wonderful for him to say such things about us,” he added.
Ibrahimovic, who has an impressive 34 trophies under his belt—excluding a World Cup, of course—acknowledged that the U.S. has the potential to achieve what Sweden has not.
He emphasized, “Whatever happened before the World Cup doesn’t matter as much as what’s happening right now. This is their moment.” He encouraged those who have doubted to start believing, stating, “The country will rally behind them.”
The U.S. is set to finish Group D on Thursday at SoFi Stadium against Türkiye. With a finals match already lined up against a third-placed team, there’s a sense that external expectations are climbing to match their own.
“We want to win every match, every tournament,” commented center-back Chris Richards regarding Ibrahimovic’s support. “It’s not foolish to say that we aim to win. Sure, there are more games to navigate before then, but we have to take it one game at a time. Our goal is to secure a trophy.”
They will host a Round of 32 match at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on July 1, although their opponent is yet to be determined. It might be the third-place team from Groups B, E, F, I, or J, opening up multiple scenarios.
Looking ahead, many are hoping for continued success, with 1994 captain Tony Meola suggesting the quarter-finals should be the target. Bruce Arena, who coached the team to the quarter-finals back in 2002, believes they can strive for even more.
“We should be a team that dreams of going beyond the Round of 32, aiming for the Round of 16, quarter-finals, and maybe even the semifinals,” Arena remarked during Saturday’s “Coach’s Corner.”
Center back Tim Ream echoed the optimism, stating, “It shouldn’t be a surprise to any of us. We know what this team is capable of when it’s all functioning together. People might be surprised, but we always had the pieces; it’s just about bringing them together.”
