3 lessons from the USMNT's World Cup
Talent isn't enough. Regardless of age, you need self-belief & a reliable support system.
Update July 7, 2026 — The Americans’ remarkably poor performance vs. Belgium in the Round of 16 highlighted, by virtue of their absence, just how important the qualities described in detail below are to success, for a team or an individual. The explanations for why these players’ self-belief and mutual support vanished against a talented and (unfortunately, from an American perspective) externally motivated Belgian team, I’ll leave to others. The shame of it is that this U.S. squad had so much going for it, until—through no fault of its own—it had so much going against it.
July 2 — I’ve watched the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s quadrennial World Cup performances for most of my life—about 12 of them. The current squad, known by the acronym USMNT, is different from any previous incarnation.
These guys are capable of competing with everyone and beating anyone, which neither I nor anyone else would have dared say during any previous World Cup. Not because of superior talent—impressive as they are, they don’t have anything close to the raw talent of the French, Argentine or Spanish teams—but because of a singular quality that they share with all top athletes, pro or amateur, regardless of age. This difference-making quality is essential for any athlete managing an aging body or athletic injuries or the kinds of performance challenges that typically don’t show up before age 50 or 60.
That quality, which this USMNT has shown in spades, is self-belief, individually and collectively. Yes, they’re also flowing over with unprecedented natural-born physical talent and, unlike in years past, most are now playing with name-brand European clubs. Talent alone might let you qualify for this tournament but it won’t get you past the group stage and into the Round of 16, where this group of Americans—including many players born outside the U.S.—now finds itself.
Takeaway #1: Self-belief is the sine qua non of performance regardless of age. At the gym, on the courts, during the race or in the office, stoking and achieving belief in one’s ability—including the ability to outperform one’s own circumscribed expectations—fuels all positive outcomes especially in the second half of life.
It’s such a simple observation about a quality so easy to overlook.
In case you missed it….
This USMNT squad exhibits radical self-belief, and its success thus far is the result.
These guys believe they can beat anyone. Watching their passing attacks and defensive structure, you can see how confidence, born of deep self-belief, allows these players to coordinate, trust and execute. This is a lesson anyone attempting to achieve, or begin, a level of athletic performance can absorb as a foundation for success.
Takeaway #2: Lack of self-belief, conversely, incinerates performance quality. Francis Tiafoe, the wildly gifted American tennis pro ranked 19th in the world and capable of beating anyone, spent years losing to far less talented competition before he committed to doing the work that winning requires. The sentiments he expressed, recorded in a recent ESPN article published after a fourth-round loss at the French Open in June, hint at the need for developing foundational self-belief that enables raw talent to flourish.
Takeaway #3: a strong support system keeps you performing at high quality even when you yourself may not have it on a particular day or week or season. Another lesson from the USMNT’s performance this summer. Including its terrible showing vs. Belgium. Belgium may have won the game, anyway, even without the red-card/political interference controversy that almost certainly interfered with the Americans’ self-belief and intrapersonal support system on the field. But what made the game so disheartening to watch was the lack of energy, spirit and (from a global opinion perspective) support the U.S. played with. The coordination and focus required to be in the right spot at the right time—so evident in previous matches—vanished against Belgium. That’s not entirely because of Belgium, either.
Even if you yourself don’t have a red-card/political interference controversy shaking your foundations at the gym, on the court, on the roads or in the office, keep in mind the importance of building your support network of trusted humans.
Because playing without it isn’t pretty.
QANTAS (Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service)
Was a client of mine. I made this mistake too. Only once.
man o man..this hit home in a BIG WAY!
‘at any age’
thank goodness.
travel well and thank you🙏🏽