With the U.S. men’s national team's 2026 FIFA World Cup opener just 500 days away, now's the perfect time to take stock of where the American player pool stands.

When the United States, Canada and Mexico were awarded the 2026 men’s World Cup in June 2018, the tournament felt an eternity away. That year’s edition in Russia was about to get going and the fever dream that was the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with its air-conditioned outdoor stadiums, still felt pretty conceptual.

Monday marked 500 days until the start of FIFA World Cup 2026. To mark the occasion, more than a dozen Houston-area leaders spoke about how well local preparations are going with seven games of the bi