World Cup 2026 Preview: Roger Bennett on Team USA, Messi, Ronaldo & the Teams to Beat

The biggest sporting event on the planet is upon us, with more than five billion people expected to follow the World Cup over the next month. But for many Americans, the World Cup is still something new: dozens of teams, unfamiliar players, and traditions that can seem foreign to casual fans. That's why we called Roger Bennett. Roger, founder and host of the Men in Blazers podcast and media network, has spent decades helping Americans understand and fall in love with soccer. His new book, We Are The World (Cup), traces the history of the tournament and the moments that made it the most-watched event on Earth. In this conversation, Roger breaks down everything casual fans need to know: the teams to watch, the stars who could define the tournament, the favorites and dark horses, Team USA's chances, and the biggest storylines on and off the field. We also discuss how soccer went from an afterthought in America to one of the country's fastest-growing sports, what this World Cup says about the United States at this moment in time, and why the tournament remains one of the few events capable of bringing the entire world together. Whether you're a lifelong soccer fan or watching your first match, this is your World Cup primer. Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.