SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The People of the United States gathered Wednesday in New York and Los Angeles; in Chicago and Atlanta; in Missoula, Mont., and Brownsville, Texas, in blocked-off streets and public squares, to witness a moment without precedent.They gathered for the first primetime World Cup knockout game in U.S. men’s soccer history. They met at bars and fan festivals. They sank into seats at stadiums or auditoriums. They stood on Pratt Street in downtown Hartford, Conn., and at The Railyard in Lincoln, Neb., or in their living rooms, anticipating something that America had never experienced before.And at 9:47 p.m. in Washington, D.C.; 8:47 in Nashville, Tenn.; 7:47 in Durango, Colo.; and 6:47 in Redding, Calif., they experienced it.They erupted as the U.S. beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup’s round of 32. And they knew, as they drifted off to sleep or off into a festive night, that something even grander is suddenly on the horizon.This, beginning Wednesday, spanning Fourth of July weekend and culminating Monday in the round of 16 against Belgium, will be the biggest, giddiest, most impactful week in American men’s soccer history.USMNT fans celebratingLia GriffinThe USMNT has, in a way, been here before. It reached the round of 16 at five previous World Cups. In 2002, it upset Mexico and marched into the quarterfinals. But that game kicked off at 3:30 p.m. in Jeonju, South Korea, which was 2:30 a.m. ET. Relatively few U.S. fans watched it on Univision or ESPN2. Many who did stay up or set alarms were fans of the Mexican national team, and were conflicted or even gutted by the 2-0 defeat. Most of America awoke on Monday, June 17, 2002, unaware that Dos a Cero had even happened.There was no social media at the time, no shared experience, no revelry after the first World Cup knockout win in U.S. men’s soccer history.Now, there is country-wide camaraderie and glee, mainstream momentum like never before.“My friends are going crazy right now,” U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams said. “They’re enjoying the moment, that’s for sure.”And that is why Monday, July 6, 2026, will be unprecedented.Clockwise from top left, USMNT watch parties from Wednesday night in Providence, R.I,; St. Louis; Kearney, Neb.; and Nashville, Tenn.In many ways, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, already was. Yes, it was only Bosnia. And it was only the round of 32. Sure, the World Cup’s expansion helped enable it.But hardly anyone thought about that on the National Mall or at neighborhood pools, at McGregor Square in Denver or the Brass Monkey in Providence, R.I.They gathered at San Pedro Square in San José, Calif., and at the local theater in Ottawa, Kan. (pop. 12,733). They gathered at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, N.J., and in football towns across Texas. They gathered at a soccer stadium in Boise, Idaho, and at a baseball stadium in Hoover, Ala., not far from where USMNT defender Chris Richards was born and raised.