America's second-favorite team: Who to root for now that the USMNT is out of the World Cup

It’s been two days since the United States men’s national team fell to Belgium in the Round of 16, after a disappointing 4-1 loss. But the World Cup keeps on trucking, with the quarterfinals beginning on Thursday, and U.S. fans will try to move on as well.

For USMNT fans who have gotten over their grief — or those who hope to overcome it by watching even more soccer — it’s a perfect time to pick a new, arbitrary team to root for in the next round. Eight teams remain, six of them UEFA, one CAF and one CONMEBOL.

Advertisement

When it comes to picking a second-chance team, no reason is too small: Maybe one country holds your family’s history, or you like the color of their jerseys, or maybe you’re just really tired of the teams that always win.

All eight are worthy of your honorary support, but if you need them, here are a few reasons to cheer on each of the remaining teams.

France: If you like a revenge story

In 2022, it was France’s chance to go back-to-back. Les Bleus nearly pulled off a miracle in the final behind a hat trick from captain and star striker Kylian Mbappé: First, Mbappé scored two goals in a two-minute span to send the game to extra time, then he scored in extra time to send the game to penalties. But in the penalty shootout, Argentina got the win. Mbappé won the Golden Boot, and on the way to collect his trophy, he was forced to walk past the World Cup trophy, his true desire.

Advertisement

All of this sets up a compelling drama for this World Cup, where France is one the favorites to win it again. Mbappé and Lionel Messi are both playing out of their mind, sitting at the top of the Golden Boot race — Messi with 8 goals, Mbappé with 7. And the World Cup draw — and Argentina’s impressive efforts to stay in the tournament — have made a France-Argentina rematch not only possible, but likely. The road back to the final won’t be easy for either team, but Les Bleus may have that extra bit of motivation on their side; winning it all, especially over Argentina, would be sweet, sweet revenge.

Morocco: If you’re rooting for a team that’s not European

Let’s be honest: This is a pretty familiar list of foes for the quarterfinals. And even Morocco, who made the semifinals four years ago, isn’t exactly a newcomer to the top stage. But after all of the UEFA dominance in the Round of 16, it’s refreshing to see a non-European, non-Argentina team from that has put up some excellent play make it to this point.

Morocco has gotten here for a lot of reasons, but they’ve remained unpredictable throughout the tournament. Against Canada, they were particularly efficient, scoring three goals in four shots on target; all three goals came in the second half, indicating the kind of defensive prowess and patience that you can expect to see going forward. Also, goalkeeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou has been excellent.

Advertisement

With no offense to our northern neighbors, Canada is not France, and it’ll be a steep battle for Morocco to make their way back to the semis. But if you’re sick of seeing UEFA teams dominant, then you might as well go all-in on Morocco, who has proven that they can outlast tough opponents for the past several years.

Spain: If you like multi-generational madness

This Spanish team is one of the most talented in years, boosted by a crop of young, exciting players and balanced veterans. Only two players in Spain’s starting 11 in their stoppage time win against Portugal are over the age of 29: 30-year-old captain Rodri and 32-year-old center back Aymeric Laporte. The rest are a healthy mix of players in their mid-to-late 20s, and a handful of uber-talented teenagers.

Advertisement

In the age of Messis and Ronaldos, it’s particularly interesting to watch the future of a country be built in real time. The biggest headliner is 18-year-old wunderkind Lamine Yamal, but there’s also 19-year-old center back Pau Cubarsí, who has broken in as a starter in a position that typically values experience. But at the same time, Spain is relying on their veterans: Against Portugal, three of the four subs in the game were vets, including game-winning goal-scorer Mikel Merino. Mikel Oyarzabal, who is 29, is quietly leading the team in goals, tied for fourth in the Golden Boot race.

The well-balanced roster makes for some interesting play: Sometimes you can depend on the brilliance of your teenage winger, and sometimes you need a 30-year-old to come in and take the final shot. But that’s the fun of soccer.

Belgium: If you love the transitive property

Is that technically what the transitive property means? No. But there’s something that’s always a little more satisfying when the team that beats you goes far. Like, maybe it wasn’t just us.

Advertisement

It didn’t help that Belgium had a pretty poor tournament up to the point of meeting the U.S. in the Round of 16: They eked out a draw with Egypt, were held scoreless against Iran, and then beat New Zealand. The Red Devils’ wild win in extra time over Senegal was by far the best the team had looked — until they played the USMNT, and crushed them.

Belgium, a team with a waning “Golden Generation” that ended in third place in 2018, has finally started to figure itself out as it goes further in the tournament. As that happens, many U.S. fans may just need to go all in on the Red Devils. Imagine a world in which Belgium upsets Spain, and then makes it to the finals after beating either France or Morocco. Wouldn’t that feel a little bit better? “Well, no wonder we lost,” you could say, as Belgium’s team coalesces into the dominant power it always had a chance to be. “They really were just the better team.”

Argentina: If you love Lionel Messi

America’s Messi fever grew in earnest in 2022, when the seemingly ageless midfielder broke out for his best World Cup performance, despite it being his fifth edition of the tournament. Somehow, he’s doing it again, as the nearly-40-year-old is playing without missing a step on the way to trying to go back-to-back. And they almost didn’t make it this far, barely surviving against upstart underdog Cape Verde and scrambling for a miraculous 3-2 comeback win against Egypt in the Round of 16.

Advertisement

So be shameless. Hop on the bandwagon for the defending champs. Don one of those iconic blue-and-white striped No. 10 jerseys that are dotting the stands of every single soccer game in the United States, no matter who’s playing. Become an Argentina fan, knowing all the while that there’s only one 39-year-old reason why you’re doing it. On the way, consider learning one other player on the Argentinian team, for authenticity.

Switzerland: If you’re tired of Lionel Messi

Of the other European teams in the quarters, Switzerland is a bit of an outlier. The Swiss has never made it past the quarterfinals; though they’ve made it to the knockout round several times in recent history, they haven’t won a knockout game since hosting the tournament in 1954. Now, they’ve already won two, putting up a strong showing against Algeria and beating Colombia in a wild penalty shootout. Also, they have a square flag, which is neat.

If that’s not enough of a reason to root for Switzerland, then embrace your inner hater: The Nati are the latest obstacle that Argentina and Lionel Messi must face on the way to defending their trophy. And if you’re a hater of a) Messi, b) Argentina, c) dynasties or any of the above, then Switzerland will be the team to adopt. After two close calls in a row for Argentina, maybe the Swiss will be the team that can finally hold a lead against them, or maybe they’ll be the ones doing the shocking. Who knows!

Norway: If you’re catching Haaland fever

Norway is back in the tournament for the first time since 1998, and the Vikings have stormed the beaches in their return. Norway finished second in the group behind two strong wins; they dispatched Ivory Coast in the first knockout round before besting Brazil in the Round of 16. (Their only blemish was a 4-1 loss to France, where they played their second-stringers and allowed Ousmane Dembélé to score a hat trick. Happens to the best of us.)

Advertisement

Much of Norway’s success has been due to a magnificent, blonde-haired giant: 25-year-old striker Erling Haaland, who has more than lived up to the hype on the global stage. Haaland is near the top of the Golden Boot race with seven goals, which alone ties the total goals scored by Norway in the three World Cup appearances before 2026. He’s scored in every game he’s played in — it’s not a coincidence that he didn’t play in their loss to France — including three game-winners. Against Brazil, Haaland scored twice, once with his head and once with a ridiculously perfect shot under pressure.

Norway, as a European team without a history of success, was a bit of a dark horse heading into the tournament, but they’re definitely worth the buy-in as an adoptive team. Goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland has also been outstanding, saving a penalty against Brazil; Norway also has an excellent fanbase, whose Viking Row celebration is an incredibly cool show of solidarity. And most of all, they have Haaland using every inch of his 6’5″ height to humiliate seasoned opponents. They’re been one of the most fun teams to watch so far, and will hopefully keep the party going in the knockout stage.

England: If you like an established upstart

Yes, “established upstart” is an oxymoron, but England has been one of the bleakest teams across World Cup history. The country where association football was created has only won the World Cup once, in 1966; since then, they’ve only made it past the quarterfinals twice, ending in fourth (aka last place among the semifinalists) both of those times. And after entering the World Cup with high hopes, England has squeaked its way through the earlier rounds of the tournament to end up here.

Advertisement

Earlier on in the tournament, cries of “It’s coming home” felt a little hollow, but the Three Lions’ win over Mexico actually held a lot of promise. England gritted out a 3-2 win behind a brilliant two-minute brace from Jude Bellingham — and they did it while playing the last 40-ish minutes down a player, after Jarell Quansah picked up a straight red card early in the second half.

So maybe you’re riding high on Harry Kane being in the running for the Golden Boot. Maybe you think Jude Bellingham is dreamy, or you feel bad for Jordan Henderson, who broke his wrist falling over a wall while celebrating the team’s win over Mexico. In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, maybe you’re feeling some sort of reverse revolution situation — i.e., you think the American should’ve never thrown the tea overboard in the first place. Whatever the reason, this England team is going to be a disruptive force in the next round, and they’ll be a lot of fun to watch.