Despite the fact that it was only an exhibition game, the atmosphere at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday was electric! The crowd, the vibes, the weather (most of the time) was amazing! While the USMNT (United States Men’s National Team) did lose their send-off match against Germany, 2-1, you can feel it- 2026 home World Cup fever is finally here.
Fan video. Love these. The crowd cheers morph to singing. 👍👍👍 https://t.co/xXq9DyA3ld
— Jim Cornelison (@Anthem_Singer) June 7, 2026
As USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the match:
“Maybe my expectation, or my mistake, was expecting the excitement around the U.S. team a year and a half ago to be what it is today.
“That was probably my mistake. We had to build that excitement again.
“When we started this journey towards the World Cup a year and a half ago, maybe we expected too much too soon. But now you can really feel it.”
Once the matches that count start happening, we’ll hear a lot less about how uninspiring and pedestrian the USMNT had looked under Mauricio Pochettino, up until only recently.
We won’t be hearing as much about the exorbitant price gouging by FIFA as well.
Because then we’ll finally have actual football/futbol/soccer to talk about.
Christian Pulisic, “Captain America,” is ready to lead the squad into a World Cup on home soil, and he’ll shoulder all the expectations and stresses that come with that.
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) June 8, 2026
With it comes the pride he’ll be feeling when he hears the national anthem playing right before kickoff of the group stage opener against Paraguay, in Los Angeles on Friday night.
This USMNT squad does not have a superstar. Pulisic is the closest thing, but he’s still far from that status. He has however, been solid strong contributor for teams in three (England-Premier League-Chelsea, Italy-Serie A-AC Milan and Germany-Bundesliga-Borussia Dortmund) of the big five leagues in Europe.
That’s prepared him to be a leader on the international stage.
For Pochettio, Pulisic, the USMNT, the Stars and Stripes, the American Outlaws ultras group and everyone else within the host nation itself, the buzz is finally starting up now.
Chance the Rapper introduces the #USMNT at the send off match yesterday pic.twitter.com/2djoqYXdsY
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) June 8, 2026
It took awhile, obviously, but you can feel the energy now.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.