Gregg Behalter has been dismissed by the federation, and considering the 2026 World Cup is just 2 years ahead, there is a lot on the line.
Rarely have the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams been equated. Throughout its history, the USWNT has consistently contended for the most prestigious titles in the sport. On the other hand, the USMNT has, at most, aimed to attain that level of success.
One program has consistently remained at the top, regarded as elite, while the other has constantly aspired to achieve that same prestigious status.
Even so, within the space of one year, U.S. Soccer has faced critical and similar decisions with both. Just one year after firing head coach Vlatko Andonovski as USWNT boss, the federation has now unexpectedly dismissed USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter after the team's stunning Copa America failure. That decision comes just one year after bringing Berhalter back and, more critically, just two years in advance of the 2026 World Cup to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Within the span of just a few months, U.S. Soccer made a pair of seismic, program-defining decisions. The first is already in place. Bolstered by a decorated European coaching resume, Emma Hayes is the coach tasked with rebuilding the USWNT, and to do so on the fly given the incredibly short lead up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. As for Berhalter's replacement, whomever that may be … well, the focus will be obvious: a home soil World Cup.
Both programs, along with American soccer as a whole, are facing a crucial moment. U.S. Soccer bears the responsibility of guaranteeing that these two coaching appointments, one already made and one yet to be decided, not only meet expectations but also chart the future path for the prominent U.S. soccer programs. The stakes are high, leaving no room for mistakes.
