Marcelo Balboa says failure to reach World Cup quarters will be a ‘downside’

When Marcelo Balboa started playing football, it was considered a children’s game to develop social skills.

There was no wall-to-wall coverage. There are no Americans playing in Europe. No world stars playing in the US No sold out stadiums. There are no Lionel Messi jerseys being sold on the streets of Los Angeles next to Lakers hoodies.

Balboa used to watch football on the Grainy Univision broadcast while listening to Andres Cantor’s iconic voice and his infamous “Goooooooool!” call.

“The first time I heard his famous goal call was when I was a kid watching Univision,” Balboa said. “You first heard about it because it was different than anything in the US”

Balboa’s parents came from Argentina, where his father was a soccer player. His upbringing was different from most Americans. And while the rest of the country was enthralled by the NFL, MLB and NBA in the 1970s and ’80s, Balboa and his family were trying to convince America that the world’s game was important here, too.

As the continent prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 11, Balboa has a unique perspective as a former player and captain of the US men’s national team.

Balboa played for the World Cup for Team USA in 1990 and 1994. His teams were pioneers tasked with dragging American soccer in the right direction with little institutional support and almost universal respect.

Fast forward to today and the current team enters the biggest competition in the sport surrounded by multi-billion dollar infrastructure, academies, the experience of European clubs and the pressure of playing in the World Cup on home soil.

“The pioneers are making the story of soccer here,” said Balboa in an exclusive interview with The California Post before the 2026 World Cup. “Now this generation must show that they can win here.”

US expectations for the 2026 World Cup are high. Mere participation is no longer enough. Balboa understands that clearly because he has seen the arc. He has lived it.

“You know I can go back to the 1990 World Cup,” he said. “If we don’t participate in that competition, who knows what will happen, we should have opened all our eyes in 1994.”

At that time, American football players were survivors. Balboa remembers a time when there were no modern training facilities, no world-class soccer stadiums, and no American stars constantly competing in Europe. This project was a cultural competition. Trust the country to take care of football first. The results will have to come later.

The United States did not qualify for the World Cup for 40 years from 1950 to 1990. But when FIFA announced in 1988 that the US would host the 1994 World Cup, Balboa knew it was time for that to change.

They entered the World Cup held in Italy in 1990 but lost in all three and did not make it out of the Group Stage. Four years later, at home, they barely survived the group stage but were eliminated in the second round. Over the next 30 years, they would only escape from the group stage three times, with their best finish in 2002 when they beat Mexico to reach the quarterfinals and finish in eighth place.

“If we don’t get out of the group, it would be a total disaster,” Balboa said of the current USMNT’s prospects.

And honestly? You are right.

“This team is ready to reach the quarterfinals,” he said.

Balboa believes goalkeeper Matt Freese, defender Alex Freeman and forward Folarin Balogun will have great performances at the World Cup, but he also knows all eyes will be on Christian Pulisic.

Pulisic has yet to score for club or country since the start of the calendar year. His last goal came against AC Milan on 28 December, a run of 21 consecutive games without a goal. In the US, that drought goes back almost two years, to November 19, 2024, against Jamaica, a period of eight games for the national team.

“Big-time players show up big-time,” Balboa said of his expectations for Pulisic. “We will see if he can get out of his problems in these two friendlies before the World Cup starts.”

Balboa’s expectations carry extra weight from one of the clear faces of American soccer’s rise. He was the captain of the national team when the game was plagued by air hunger. But his team’s run in 1994 became part of American football legends. His bicycle kick attempt just missed the goal against Colombia. It was a spectacle before the world fully understood the beauty of this game.

“I remember the excitement in the crowd when the bike was kicked,” Balboa said. “Now there is a lot of history in sports in this country. Many of the best players in the world have played here.”

He chased names that once sounded unthinkable in American football: Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Jorge Campos, Carlos Valderrama and now Messi himself turning MLS into a global conversation.

That growth is exactly why Balboa refuses to downgrade the US team.

“I am surprised that we keep losing in the second round of the World Cup,” said Balboa about the growth of the American team. “I would like to see the US reach that mountain and get over it. I hope they can put it together this summer.”

You are right.

After 32 years, Americans are no longer a new act to host the world. They have to start competing with it. Balboa believes that the US should beat its group and reach the quarterfinals. He even admitted that once the team has reached that stage, dreaming about winning everything is no longer possible.

But he also understands that the pressure of playing on home soil can wear down players. That is why it is so important to win their first game on June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

“That first game, you can’t lose,” said Balboa. “You can’t put yourself behind the 8 ball.”

Balboa is well aware of that tension.

Led by their captain, the US forced a 1-1 draw with heavily favored Switzerland in their first game. They rode that wave of momentum and won 2-1 against Colombia in their second game.

Balboa and his teammates bear the burden of proving that football belongs to America. Now an entirely different generation bears the burden of proving that America belongs to soccer players.

“We all feel like it’s our time to do something special,” Balboa said.

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