On Wednesday, Gregg Berhalter was let go as manager of the U.S. men’s national team after crashing out of the Copa America during the group stage and took full responsibility for the dismal display. The USMNT became the first Copa America hosts ever to not make it out of the group stage, causing worry about whether Berhater was the right man to lead the USMNT into the 2026 World Cup on home soil. Berhalter thanked the federation and said he believes great things are ahead for the team, even without him.
“I want to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for entrusting me to lead this team for the past five years. Representing our country is a tremendous honor and I am proud of the identity we have built on and off the field. It was very gratifying watching this team improve over the years and I remain grateful for the lifetime bonds created with our players, coaches, and staff members,” Berhalter said in a statement to Fox . “The Copa America result is extremely disappointing and I take full responsibility for our performance. Our approach and process was always focused on the 2026 World Cup and I remain confident that this group will be one of the great stories in 2026.”
Despite winning a Gold Cup and two Concacaf Nations League titles, sporting director Matt Crocker decided that it was time to move in a different direction. Berhalter had a 44-13-17 record as head coach of the USMNT but his only wins against teams in FIFA’s top 20 were against Mexico and Iran.
Crocker has stated that the search for a new head coach has already begun and it’s important that it’s a search that goes quickly. The USMNT will be back in action on Sept. 7 against Canada in a friendly and the more time that a new coach has to get to know the players, the better.
