‘Had to take matters into his own hands’: Hope builds that Zohran Mamdani will save the USMNT after disappointing loss to Belgium

The USMNT had fans buzzing in the group stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, needing only the first two matches to win its group. The squad faced some adversity in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina when it lost its top goal scorer, Folarin Balogun, to a red card in the second half. Still, the USNT prevailed, winning the match 2-0.

Despite a rare ruling that allowed Balogun to play in the round of 16 against Belgium, the USMNT did not meet expectations in Monday night’s fixture. In an evening where the U.S. looked completely overwhelmed from the start, it lost 4-1. It was a tough showing for the squad, especially after President Donald Trump confirmed that he worked to personally make sure that Balogun would be allowed to compete.

If there was any silver lining on Monday, it was that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made an announcement that should bode well for the future of United States soccer: 24/7 soccer fields open to the public in the city.

Now presenting 24/7 soccer fields in the city that never sleeps.

Find your next late-night game at https://t.co/HIZoGWHbeL. pic.twitter.com/Oe5tTxErQm

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 6, 2026

Fans on social media were thrilled with the announcement and what it might mean for future iterations of the USMNT.

“He foresaw the USMNT this game and had to take matters into his own hands,” one fan posted on X in the wake of the loss to Belgium.

“Mandani is going to personally make sure the USA has a centerback and goalkeeper ready for the 2030 World Cup,” someone else posted.

“We could genuinely produce 50 better players for every position than the double agents that played td if nyc builds 300 more of these pitches alone. im not even joking,” one fan added.

“i’m crying man zohran saw team USA’s performance and has mandated nonstop training camps until 2030,” another fan joked, even though Mamdani’s announcement was made well before the USMNT’s loss.

Hopefully, more of the country embraces the sport similarly, and the U.S. can make inroads on the talent gap between it and the major global powers in soccer.