Can the USMNT Win the 2026 World Cup?

The question seemed straightforward for Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

During a postgame show on Friday, he was asked if he believed the U.S. men’s national team had a chance to win the World Cup, and without hesitation, he replied, “Yes.”

Having played professionally in Europe for over 20 years, Ibrahimovic mentioned that the widespread support for the USMNT throughout the country could really drive them toward victory.

“With this support, it’s hard to win,” he said. “That’s what they need. They just need to continue to build confidence game after game.”

“As I said before, whatever has happened leading up to the World Cup doesn’t really matter as much as what’s happening now,” he continued. “Their momentum is now. For those who haven’t believed before, I say: ‘Start believing.’ Let the country rally behind them.”

Though qualifying for this year’s World Cup might seem like a distant dream, the USMNT managed to impress with two strong wins in group play against Paraguay and Australia.

In their opener last week, the U.S. dominated Paraguay, winning 4-1 and controlling the ball for about 63 percent of the match.

After that, star winger Christian Pulisic was unfortunately sidelined with a calf injury, but the U.S. still secured a solid 2-0 shutout against Australia on Friday.

Pulisic’s status was somewhat uncertain before the match, with manager Mauricio Pochettino noting he seemed to be recovering well but would not be playing just yet.

“Christian is not there, but the evolution is going very well,” Pochettino told Fox. “I feel good. I hope to be back with the team soon and ready to play.”

“Now we need to focus, and the players have to be part of the team. We have a very important game coming up. Australia will be tough. It’s a bit sad because he wanted to play today. But it’s still early.”

The USMNT, currently leading Group D, is set to face Türkiye on Thursday at 10 PM ET.