It’s time to think about the next stage of the World Cup. The United States men’s national team have secured their place in the knockout stage, so Mauricio Pochettino’s side can now turn their attention to the opponents awaiting them in the next round. Despite losing 3-2 in their last match against Turkiye, the Americans booked their spot in the last 32 after a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their opening match, followed by a 2-0 win against Australia. Those back-to-back victories not only guaranteed qualification, but also ensured the United States would finish top of Group D with a game to spare. Let’s take a look at the Group D standings first:Group D standingsPosTeamGPWDLGFGAGDPTS1United States320184+462Australia311122043Paraguay311124-244Turkiye310235-23Scores and scheduleFriday, June 12USA 4, Paraguay 1
Saturday, June 13
Australia 2, Turkiye 0
Friday, June 19
USA 2, Australia 0
Paraguay 1, Turkiye 0
Thursday, June 25
Turkiye 3, USA 2
Paraguay 0, Australia 0
Who will they meet in the Round of 32?
The side coached by Mauricio Pochettino lost 3-2 to Turkiye in the last matchday of the group stage but had already clinched the top spot of the group, granting them a spot in the round of 32 of the World Cup after winning Group D. In the next round, the United States will face Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnians secured third place in Group B and finished third after Switzerland and Canada.
FIFA publishes every possible third-place permutation for the knockout bracket, and once Bosnia and Herzegovina secured advancement and following Thursday’s results, the matchup became official. Bosnia’s victory moved them onto four points with a -1 goal difference, guaranteeing they would not finish among the four eliminated third-place teams. With Sweden’s advancement also verified, the final permutation was locked in, setting up a Round of 16 meeting between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States.
Who will they meet in the Round of 16?
If the bracket remains unchanged, the United States will meet the winner of the Round of 32 clash between Group G leaders Egypt and the best third-placed team from Groups A, E, H, I, or J.
At the moment, that pairing would be: Egypt vs. South Korea.
When are the United States playing in the knockouts?
Mauricio Pochettino’s team will play the Round of 32 match on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
