BEST·THIRD·PLACE TRACKER An independent tracker for the 2026 World Cup.
FINAL UPDATE:
2026 WORLD CUP · ROUND OF 16
USA
The Stars and Stripes
ELIMINATED
IN OUR BEST THIRDS RANKING
#12OUR RANK
9PTS
+3GD
11GF
USA is out of the 2026 World Cup, eliminated after the Round of 16 (1/8 finals).

The USA opened their 2026 World Cup with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, 24 places lower in the world ranking, then added a 2-0 win over Australia, 10 places lower in the world ranking, on matchday 2. A 2-3 loss to Türkiye, 5 places lower in the world ranking, closed out the group on matchday 3, but the early points held up. Six points and a goal difference of 4 were enough to top Group D and reach the knockout rounds.

The United States beat Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32, but their run ended emphatically in the last 16. Belgium, ranked ninth now but the world's number one for about 4 years until 2022, ran out 4-1 winners to knock the co-hosts out. Even the pre-match drama went the hosts' way, with a red-card suspension lifted in unprecedented fashion, and it counted for nothing against that scoreline.

HOW IT ENDED

One win from the quarter-finals.
USA
1–4
Belgium
ROUND OF 16 · · FULL-TIME · ELIMINATED
WHAT WAS NEXT · NEVER REACHED
QUARTER-FINALS
Spain

PER MATCH · INCL. GROUP STAGE

1.80PTS / match
2.20GF / match
−2.20FAIR / match

Across 5 matches (group stage included), USA has averaged 1.80 points and 2.20 goals scored per game, with 2.20 fair-play points lost per game.

PLAYED

Paraguay
Australia
Türkiye
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Belgium
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
Won the group in the end. USA topped their group to qualify outright, so the best-thirds cut this tracker is built on did not settle where they finished.

How hard was USA’s road at this World Cup?

Every team’s road through the tournament, on one chart. Each line shows how hard each stage is. The base is the gap in FIFA world ranking between the two sides; on top of that, current form (each team’s last three matches, and how convincingly they were won against how strong an opponent) nudges the step: a hot opponent makes it taller, a team’s own hot form makes its own steps shorter. Higher means a tougher road. In the group stage the opponents are known, so each match sits at a fixed height; each knockout round shows the average difficulty across every opponent still left in that round. USA’s road is highlighted, along with every team it played. Hover or tap any team to compare, or pick one from the legend.

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