When David Beckham signed Lionel Messi for Inter Miami, everyone had just one question: why, exactly? Quite a silly ask, considering that having the greatest player of all time on your team elevates it to unimaginable heights, and the impact the Argentinian has had on MLS needs no introduction. But beyond the domestic gains, Beckham had a bigger goal: to spark a soccer revolution for the future generations of America. “I want to inspire the next generation of young kids that are playing in this country,” he said. But he didn’t stop there, especially not when it came to the USMNT.

“Because, at some point, the US will win the World Cup,” he added. Who would’ve thought that Beckham—who was part of England’s golden generation yet never lifted the trophy—would back a nation like the USA, which is rarely considered in such elite conversations? So, if that’s how DB7 feels, why wouldn’t a hardcore American like Alexi Lalas believe the same? No wonder an X user named @DocJS decided to put the former USMNT defender’s patriotism to the test with a serious question.

This question, which Lalas addressed on the latest episode of The State of the Union podcast, asked whether the 55-year-old would bet an amount of money that truly mattered to him on the U.S. winning a World Cup in his lifetime. His answer, you ask? “Yeah, a definitive yes!” Quite surprising, it may seem to many, but you have to hear the math he did before he fired off this response.

Being 55 years old right now, Lalas looked at the odds practically. According to his “Google machine,” the average life expectancy for an American is around 76. That gives him, by his estimate, about six more World Cups to witness—including the 2026 edition. Fingers crossed, hopefully more—but for the sake of argument, let’s say six. And assuming the U.S. qualifies for every tournament except the next one, he’s confident in his bet. Ergo, his decisive “yes.”

And it’s not only because of his extreme optimism or the fact that it is coming at the expense of being honest to himself and his audience. Lalas believes that within the next 20 years, the American soccer landscape will witness massive investments to ignite the growth of the game. And yes, “It’s not blind faith; it’s not delusional; it’s not Pollyanna or anything like that.” It’s simply a belief!

“I recognize the realities and the challenges of doing something like that, and history is against you, considering only a handful of teams have actually done it. Like I said before, maybe it’s just simply being American, if you will, and believing that we can do things that people say haven’t been done,” continued Lalas, while keeping a bold face, further reassuring, “So yes, in my lifetime, I would bet whatever it is that the US men’s team would win a World Cup.”

Dear Americans, if this doesn’t bring chills down your spine, then we wonder what else will? We bet that even if some of you never ever imagined the Stars and Stripes lifting the World Cup someday, surely Lalas has made you believe, right? Either way, this is quite a huge claim from the iconic USMNT star. Clearly, he is pretty serious about this, and no wonder he didn’t hesitate to throw some harsh words at the current national team boss!

Mauricio Pochettino and USMNT get a major warning!

Things have been sour since the beginning of this year for the USMNT, having endured major disappointment in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal and Gold Cup final. And for a team that hosts the World Cup in less than a year, this remains a major concern. Now, even though they have some crucial matches lined up in their September and October clashes against the likes of South Korea, Japan, Ecuador, and Australia, Alexi Lalas merely views it as a friendly and not a real test.

Yes, he does acknowledge the pedigree of all the aforementioned teams, even insisting that the World Cup draw in December could pit them against similar-caliber opponents. Yet, he believes the U.S. should be at a level where they see themselves as equals—or even better. On top of that, he questions, “But are these elite teams? No.” 

Not to mention that just 10 friendly matches are all that the USMNT have left to play before 2026, out of which two of them are likely to be low-stakes, closed-door tune-ups. So this automatically makes him worry the team won’t get enough meaningful preparation. “We’ll probably make more out of them than they deserve,” Lalas said, “but it’s all we have,” encouraging the squad to take every opportunity seriously.