Us Soccer Legend Clint Dempsey Previews Team's World Cup Chances, Discusses 'responsibility' To Grow The Game

The United States has been waiting for men's soccer to return off; it has been close, but adjacent summertime could beryllium nan large ascend.

Next year, of course, marks nan first clip since 1994 that nan United States will big nan World Cup (along pinch Canada and Mexico). 

The U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) has yet to get complete nan hump, but they person reached nan knockout shape successful each of their past 2 World Cups. With 1 bully showing, erstwhile USMNT prima Clint Dempsey thinks nan athletics could beryllium nan adjacent large point successful America.

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U.S. Men's National Team prima Clint Dempsey, #8, dribbles upfield against Jamaica during nan first half of their CONCACAF World Cup qualifying crippled astatine Crew Stadium connected Sept. 11, 2012. (Kyle Robertson / USA TODAY NETWORK)

"When I deliberation backmost to nan 1994 World Cup and going to my first crippled successful Dallas, because of really good nan U.S. squad did and really overmuch nan crippled grew because of having nan World Cup here, I’m funny to spot what will hap from a bully showing adjacent year, if nan U.S. tin execute well, what could travel of that," Dempsey told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview. "It’s excessively galore times it seems for illustration each 4 years, everybody that’s mainstream American taking announcement alternatively of mainstream American taking announcement each year. 

"You person [Lionel] Messi moving nan needle successful position of creating an effect successful mainstream media, but if nan U.S. person a awesome showing astatine nan World Cup, nan entity is nan limit arsenic to what tin beryllium accomplished. I americium a small spot nervous, though, correct now, but I’m looking guardant to a beardown showing astatine nan Gold Cup to get a creation for nan large creation successful 2026."

Why is Dempsey nervous? Well, not advancing retired of nan group shape successful nan Copa América past year, a tourney that only includes countries successful North and South America, connected their ain location ungraded will do that.

"It was a failure. You’re nan only big state to not get retired of nan group shape successful COPA America," Dempsey said bluntly.

"But they tin get backmost connected track. I deliberation [head coach Mauricio Pochettino] needs a small much clip pinch them. Hopefully Gold Cup, beardown showing, get backmost connected track, and effort to do thing special."

U.S. caput coach Mauricio Pochettino gives a property convention up of an world friends shot lucifer against Mexico astatine Akron Stadium successful Guadalajara, Mexico, connected Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

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The World Cup will people garner viewers and turn nan crippled connected its own. However, Dempsey has ever felt a "responsibility" to do it himself. So, that is why he has collaborated pinch Abbott, nan Official Health and Nutrition Sciences Partner of Real Madrid Football Club, to make nan Abbott Dream Team.

Abbott and Real Madrid are hosting shot tryouts for 18- and 19-year-olds successful Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Dallas this summer, erstwhile nan 11 apical players will recreation overseas connected an all-expenses-paid travel to Ciudad Real Madrid successful Valdebebas, Madrid this fall. 

"I’m happy to springiness kids a level to pursuit their dreams. One of those cities to effort retired happens to beryllium Dallas wherever I benignant of started it all. It comes afloat circle for me, arsenic that’s wherever I played my nine shot increasing up successful nan classical league. So look guardant to being a portion of that," Dempsey said. "These young players person an opportunity to pursuit their dreams and besides study astir nutrition to prolong their careers if they get fortunate capable to get to do this arsenic a profession. I’m happy to get group beryllium a portion of thing that gives group nan chance to pursuit their dreams, because astatine nan extremity of nan day, that's what it's each about. I was fortunate capable to make it my dream and do it for a living."

"I conscionable benignant of ever felt for illustration I've been trying to turn nan crippled successful position of trailblazing, but astatine nan aforesaid time, if you person opportunities for illustration this to springiness backmost and springiness group that level to person those experiences, it's special, because that's what life’s about," he added. "I person six kids, and it's beautiful engaged chasing them around, and sometimes it feels for illustration you're an Uber driver, but's it's maine watching them effort to pursuit their dreams. That's what this life is about. You wanna springiness group nan chance to to do thing typical successful their life truthful you tin beryllium astatine bid and look backmost beryllium happy pinch everything. So that's conscionable benignant of I'm astatine successful life. I wanna thief group out, and this was a cleanable level for that."

United States guardant Clint Dempsey, #8, against Belgium during nan information of sixteen lucifer successful nan 2014 World Cup astatine Arena Fonte Nova. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

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Dempsey, for illustration each of us, is hoping nan connection "failure" is not brought up adjacent summertime during nan World Cup. The USMNT tin debar that, Dempsey said, arsenic agelong arsenic they tin proceed what they person done successful caller Cups.

"At nan bare minimum, I deliberation you person to get retired of nan group. If you don't nan group, it's a failure," Dempsey said. "There’s gonna beryllium a batch of unit connected this squad for being 1 of nan big countries, and not getting retired of nan group will beryllium a failure. It starts pinch getting retired of nan group, get group believing, and thing tin hap erstwhile you get into nan knockout rounds."

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