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Former USMNT Coaches List the BEST All Tournament Team from World Cup 2026!

Duration: 4:08 737 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The video features former USMNT coaches gathering to discuss their final thoughts on the 2026 World Cup by selecting their respective all-tournament teams. The discussion begins with Coach Irani, who emphasizes that Spain's four players were obvious choices due to their dominance, having conceded only one goal in eight games and earning individual awards for best goalkeeper, player, and defender. While acknowledging the strong performances of Rodri, Bellingham, Rice, Olise, Mbappé, and Messi, Irani notes that France and Spain clearly dominated the tournament in his opinion. He also mentions honorable mentions for Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappé, suggesting that while other players were good, the top tier was heavily influenced by these two nations. Greg follows with a team heavily featuring Spanish talent, jokingly referring to it as "All Sebastian," which includes Porro at right back instead of Hakimi despite lobbying from his office staff. Greg praises Cucurella's amazing performance and highlights Cubarsí as the young player of the tournament alongside Upamecano in defense. In midfield, he selects Rodri as the clear player of the tournament and Olise for his record-breaking assist count, though he admits Olise could have scored more goals. When questioned about Declan Rice, Greg explains that he hesitated to include him because Rice was substituted out in one match before England's comeback win, noting that Rice's set-piece service was not as effective as expected during the event. The conversation continues with another coach who builds a similar team around Spanish and French stars but makes specific tactical adjustments, such as choosing Nuno Mendes over Cucurella to break up the defensive line slightly. This coach reiterates Cubarsí's incredible status as the young player of the tournament and adds Laporte to the defense, while also crediting Pedro Porro for exceeding pre-tournament expectations and earning a spot on their list. In midfield, Rodri is described as the compass that makes everything better, with Dani Olmo considered as an alternative to Olise due to the latter's lack of goals despite fantastic passing. The forward line remains consistent across the coaches' selections, featuring Haaland, Messi, and Mbappé, showing a strong consensus on the tournament's biggest stars. Ultimately, the coaches conclude that while there are debatable spots regarding players like Olise and Rice, the core of their all-tournament teams converges significantly on the standout performers from Spain and France. The group agrees that Rodri was indispensable as the player of the tournament, while Haaland, Messi, and Mbappé secured their places in every lineup due to their exceptional goal-scoring contributions. Although some coaches had honorable mentions for players like Kane and Dembélé, the final consensus highlights a tournament where Spanish and French talent overshadowed others, resulting in teams that are remarkably similar in composition despite individual preferences for specific defenders and midfielders.

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But let's get to kind of final thoughts about this World Cup as a whole. And And Bruce, you brought up this idea earlier, so I'm going to start with you. Our all-tournament team. So here is the coaches' corner all-tournament team according to you, Bruce, and the rest of you guys have your 11s as well. So coach Irani, you start first. >> Well, I I I I I think the the four players for Spain are pretty obvious, and and they were awarded yesterday best goalkeeper, best player, best defender. I think Rodri was unbelievable in this World Cup. I think that the back line for Spain, they conceded one goal in eight games, and to have three defenders there two defenders there is not a surprise. At the last second, I made a change at the at the right back position instead of Porro, I I put in Hakimi because I just had a I had to break the cycle of the of the semifinalists and give some other guys an opportunity. But I obviously up top, you know, Mbappé's leading goal scorer. Messi had a very good tournament. You can question whether Olise should be in there, but I thought he he had a good tournament. I thought Bellingham was terrific. Rice was outstanding. So, you know, I I I think it's debatable. There's a couple more players that can be in there. You know, I had I had honorable mention. You know, you got to think of Haaland and Kane and Dembélé. You know, there's there's a bunch of other good players in the tournament, but clearly dominated by Spain and France in my opinion. >> Greg? >> Where's my team? Let me bring it up. All Sebastian again, 11 Sebastians. >> Yes. >> Here we go. Now, very similar to Bruce, I put Porro instead of Hakimi. My the coaches in in my office were were lobbying for Hakimi, but you know, when a right back scores in the semi-final, and I just think he He so well the whole tournament. So, Porro's going to go in there. Cucurella was amazing also. Center backs is, you know, Cubarsí, young player of the tournament. Upamecano was was really solid. Rodri, player of the tournament, that's pretty obvious. And then, um you know, the rest is pretty straightforward. Olise, I think didn't he break the record for most assists in the World Cup? You know, I he I I thought he could have done more in terms of goal scoring. Um but still had a really solid tournament. And then I put Haaland um Haaland in the um in the the all-tournament team. >> You didn't like Declan Rice, huh? >> You know, he was another one that we talked about. Um but I think he got subbed out in one game and they ended up coming back and winning, you know, so I don't know I got he I got he he got dinged for that little bit. And his set piece service wasn't that great this tournament. >> Until the bronze the bronze final. >> Yeah, exactly. [laughter] >> Final, yeah. Third [clears throat] place final. >> Until the all-star game final. >> Your your 11 was a lot like Greg's, I think. >> It was for the same reason that Bruce mentioned earlier. I put Nuno Mendes instead of Cucurella. Uh only because I broke it up a little bit. Cubarsí, young player of the tournament, um incredible. I also thought Laporte was really good. Uh Pedro Porro, if any of us had been asked before the World Cup to list the best players that we're going to we were going to watch in the World Cup, nobody would have put his name down, but it's a credit to the team that then he gets on our list and plays so well. Uh Rodri is the compass, the the one that makes everything better. Uh I almost put Dani Olmo in in instead of Olise. I I agree with Greg that Olise, his passing and his eye was fantastic, but he had a lot of chances in the World Cup and didn't score any goals. And and so you could still sort of hold that against him. Bellingham for England was for me incredible. And then I go with the same Mbappe, Messi and Haaland. So we're not far off.