Why Can't The US Do Better In the World Cup?

Why Can't The US Do Better In the World Cup?

From Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More by Gary Arndt

July 13, 2026 · 16 min · Episode 2195

About this episode

This episode explores the reasons behind the United States' struggles in the World Cup despite its success in other sports.

In the summer of 2026, the United States caught World Cup fever, just as we do every four years. And just like we do every year, we were eliminated by a much smaller country.  The United States is a large, rich country. We win a disproportionate share of Olympic medals and Nobel Prizes. Yet, when it comes to the world’s most popular sport, we don’t do very well. At least the men's team.  Learn more about the structural challenges standing in the way of American soccer success on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Shop the store at Shop.Everything-Everywhere.com Sponsors Hexclad Get 10% off your order at hexclad.com/DAILY Mint Mobile Save 50% on Unlimited premium wireless plans starting at $15/month at MintMobile.com/EED Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! DripDrop Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code EVERYTHING for 20% off your first order! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon…

People in this episode

Host: Gary Arndt

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Hexclad, Mint Mobile, Quince, DripDrop

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Places: United States

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