Stu Holden Lays Out 'Doomsday' Scenario For Gregg Berhalter, Which Some USMNT Fans May Be Hoping For

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Gregg Berhalter has accomplished nothing of note since taking over as the manager of the USMNT in 2018. Given that inarguable fact, it's surprising that he's been tapped as the man to lead the men's national team into the 2026 World Cup, the first to be held in North America since 1994.

The U.S. could enter the World Cup in two years with its strongest team ever, and making a run in the most-watched soccer event on the globe taking place on home soil could be a generation-changing moment for the sport in the United States.

READ: USMNT Manager Gregg Berhalter Earned A $900k Bonus For Accomplishing The Bare Minimum

Many have questioned if Berhalter is the right man for the job given his unimpressive track record thus far and slightly above-average showing during the 2022 World Cup. While all signs point to him remaining in his post for '26, Fox Sports soccer analyst Stu Holden believes he has plenty to prove between now and then if he wants to be the leader of this team in two years.

"I think this is a huge summer for Gregg Berhalter," Holden told Fox News. "You’re going to have the Gold Cup in ’25, but this is going to be the biggest test this team will face ahead of the ’26 World Cup," Holden explained. "Because you’re going to play Uruguay [in Copa America]. If the U.S. can make it out of the group stage, they’re going to probably get Brazil or Colombia in a quarterfinal. That’s awesome. 

"That game if they should get there, which they should. If they don’t, you and I are having a different conversation in a couple months about doomsday for the U.S. men’s program again."

"I’m starting to get into the camp of some doubt of whether he is the right guy for 2026," Holden continued. "Yet, in the real games he’d had to prove that again, they smash Mexico in the final of the Nations League. I have confidence he can put this team in the best position to succeed in 2026, yet 2024 this Copa America becomes that really important litmus test that we’ll really have the best sense of if he can."

Gregg Berhalter, Gio Reyna

(Photo by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Berhalter's contract expired at the end of 2022 and was not renewed following an investigation into a domestic abuse incident involving his now-wife over 30 years ago. 

After what turned into a long, drawn-out process to appease to the woke crowd looking to cancel Berhalter, the USMNT offered him a new contract that runs through 2026. 

READ: Clint Dempsey Is Right: USMNT Bringing Back Gregg Berhalter As Manager Is Giant Waste Of Time

In other words, the USMNT had an opportunity to move on from Berhalter, but chose to bring him back despite the likes of Clint Dempsey, Holden, and a large number of American soccer fans at least entertaining the idea that he isn't the right man to take this side to that next level.

Despite being brought back, the ‘Berhalter Out’ crowd may still have hope with plenty of prove-it moments for the manager and the USMNT between now and the 2026 World Cup.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.