Every four years, the World Cup offers players from around the world the opportunity to represent their nations in pure competition. Despite having many differences, countries come together in unison to compete in the universal sport of soccer (called “football” by most nations). Even though “World” is in the name and the tournament is being hosted in Qatar, staff and students are still actively engaged.

Particularly, many are interested in the U.S. National Team, who are making their first appearance since 2014. With soccer not being as popular in the U.S. as in other parts of the globe, the World Cup gives an outlet for American soccer to make itself known.

After qualifying, the U.S. team began their conquest in Group B against Wales on Nov. 21. Despite having possession 59% of the game, the U.S. finished with a 1-1 draw, earning them one point in the standings.

However, their next challenge would be even more difficult. The U.S. took on England in an intense bout on Nov. 25. With momentum bouncing back and forth between both teams, the game ended in a 0-0 draw. England supporter and girls soccer coach Colin Williams was invested in the match.

“I thought the [U.S] did pretty well actually. I really thought England would win, but I think [England’s manager] made a couple errors. He probably should have changed the team a little bit earlier,” Williams said. For being such a young and inexperienced team, drawing with England was a major accomplishment for the U.S. Despite the team being so young, Williams saw one key characteristic through the U.S. play: passion.

“They have a lot of passion in their games. They haven’t scored too many goals… but the passion is there,” Williams said.

This passion led them to defeat Iran, 1-0, in a must-win game on Nov. 29. This propelled the U.S. forward with five points, sufficient for second in their group, just behind England. The U.S. team was off to the round of 16 to play the Netherlands.

“I think the [U.S.] started off pretty solid; at least they advanced to the round of 16,” senior Julia Mohrbacher said.

However, the American team saw their championship dreams crumble into dust, as the Netherlands defeated them 3-1 on Dec. 3 in an elimination game.

Despite the U.S. being eliminated from the tournament, there’s still much for fans to watch. With so many talented players and teams, there’s always someone to cheer for. For example, junior Jaden Winterhalter’s favorite team is Argentina.

“I like watching Argentina because I get excited to see what Messi is going to do next,” Winterhalter said.

The U.S. will be back in 2026 though, as they are hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico, the first time the World Cup will be played in three countries.

When it comes to watching the World Cup, fans are going to make the most of the tournament before another four-year wait. When asked how much she’s been watching the World Cup, Mohrbacher replied, “basically every day it’s on.”