No Hard Feelings: USA's World Cup Alumni Like Co-Host's Chances, Friction And All

There’s visible friction between some U.S. soccer legends and the current roster — highlighted by criticism of Christian Pulisic for skipping the Gold Cup and public clapbacks — but it’s not unanimous.
A group of former stars (Jozy Altidore, Brad Guzan, Gregg Berhalter, Maurice Edu, Tab Ramos, Tony Meola, etc.) are publicly backing the 2026 squad and predicting they can get out of the group and make a deep run.
The U.S. opens the World Cup vs Paraguay Friday at 9 p.m. ET — veterans say this is the team’s moment and could even turn casual viewers into lifelong fans.