The Americans have once again made it to the FIBA World Cup final, where they will face France on Sunday. Les Bleues are now the only team standing between Team USA and its goal of clinching a fifth straight gold medal. And while the Americans entered the tournament as massive favorites, three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker has made it clear that the price of unmatched success is that the world starts rooting for the Goliath to fall.

“From the fan standpoint, they are with you. They’re cheering for USA. But if USA struggles a little bit, the entire world cannot wait for USA to fall. You also have to use that as motivation. Everybody wants to see USA stumble, and you take that as a chip on your shoulder,” Parker said on X per TNT Sports U.S.

Now, the appetite for an American misstep does not necessarily come from a place of disrespect. It comes from the overwhelming weight of the dominance Team USA has built over the years.

The Americans have won 35 straight World Cup games and four consecutive titles, with 11 World Cup championships overall. This record stands above any other team in the history of the competition.

But what makes their run even more impressive is how rarely their opponents have been able to keep games close. In their current winning streak, Team USA has won every game by double digits except for its 55-52 escape against Italy in the group stage of this year’s tournament. So for years, the question has rarely been whether the Americans will win, but rather by how much.

Since the start of the 2010 World Cup, Team USA has built a +1,066-point differential, a number that says more about its dominance than any individual victory. And that is the standard Team USA has created for itself.

This year, though, things have looked a little different. The Americans handled China, Czechia, and Hungary comfortably, but Italy pushed them all the way before Spain gave them another serious test in the semifinals. Team USA eventually got past both, but every time they struggle, the desire to see the Goliath finally fall only gets stronger. And against France, that possibility is at an all-time high.

France has been one of the strongest teams throughout the 2026 tournament and will enter Sunday’s final with a chance to do what so many teams have failed to do over the years – knock the Americans off the top. But Breanna Stewart knows Team USA cannot afford another performance like the one against Spain, especially with France waiting in the final.

Eight players on the French roster are active WNBA players, meaning they have spent much of the season playing alongside or against many of the same players they will now face on Sunday. So French star Marine Johannès, who plays alongside Team USA star Stewart with the New York Liberty, knows just how difficult the task will be. Yet rather than treating the Americans’ dominance as something France should fear, Johannès sees Sunday as an opportunity with very little pressure attached to it.

“If I’m honest, we have nothing to lose,” Johannès said, according to Alexa Philippou. “We actually know they are a great team. They won every World Cup for years and years. They are really talented. We all know that; we are playing with these players all season in the W. We know how good they are. It’s one game, nothing to lose. We are going to play hard, and we’ll see what happens.”

France will play in its first World Cup final since the competition’s current semifinal format was introduced, and they currently sit at the top of the FIBA power rankings. But what makes the game even more intriguing is the fact that Team USA was the reason Les Bleues had to leave the 2024 Olympics with a silver medal. So, there is already a sense of revenge heading into Sunday’s final.

And that is what makes this game so exciting for fans. They will get to see whether France can finally break Team USA’s incredible streak or if the Americans will once again prove to be untouchable.