With the 2026 men’s World Cup set to begin in the United States, some outlets raise questions about how far the country has come in football and whether it is closer to winning the men’s tournament. Both sources note that the United States has been highly successful in women’s football, describing the team as four-time champions, which reflects a long record of achievement at the highest level. However, the articles point to a different picture in the men’s game, asking why decades of aiming for World Cup success have not yet translated into a comparable level of triumph on the men’s side. As the tournament arrives on home soil, the focus is on whether the men’s national team has made enough progress to contend for the title. The coverage emphasizes the contrast between domestic and international performance in the women’s game and the ongoing challenge of reaching men’s World Cup victory, framing the upcoming tournament as a key moment for evaluating the USA’s trajectory.