Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app.Another World Cup has arrived at last, but this one draws a direct line between the U.S.’s past and present. For the first time since 1994, a men’s World Cup hits American soil, and it’s one that has us all feeling nostalgic.As part of our walkup to the tournament, we wanted to take stock of the U.S.’s modern-era World Cup history (1990 and on), and to do so we conducted a fantasy draft of all players who have reached the World Cup stage in that time.Our drafters were The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio, Henry Bushnell and Tom Bogert, who are on the road chronicling the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup; former standout U.S. forward and The Athletic contributor Charlie Davies; and three-time U.S. World Cup veteran, 2014 World Cup assistant coach and special guest Tab Ramos.Our rules were rather simple:
We conducted 16 rounds (good for 11 starters and five reserves; 80 players in total) and operated with snake draft rules, reversing order in alternating rounds from 1-16.
Players eligible to be drafted had to have been on a U.S. men’s national team World Cup roster beginning in 1990 through 2022 (our draft was conducted prior to the announcement of Mauricio Pochettino’s 26-man 2026 squad).
