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The United States men’s national team has a chance to make history Monday night by reaching the World Cup quarterfinals in a match played on home soil.
With a victory Monday against Belgium, Team USA will be one of the “elite eight” remaining in the World Cup, making it the longest run since 2002.
Soccer’s popularity increased enormously when the 1994 U.S. team reached the knockout stage on home soil, and John Harkes, one of the members of that team, who is the focus of FOX ONE’s documentary series “Summer of ’94,” believes this year is “coming full circle.”
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John Harkes (6) of the United States in action against Switzerland’s Marc Hottiger (2) during a Stage A group match at the Pontiac Silverdome. Pontiac, Michigan. (John Biever/Getty Images)
“I was with my son, his wife, our grandson and my wife in the round of 16, and the national anthem still hits me hard, and the emotions come. You think back to the years we played and what we brought to the game in 1990 and 1994. It was huge to be here. Thirty-two years later, it’s really important for us to tell stories because these are new audiences and they need to know the stories. know the stories. know the stories. the history of gaming, and that’s part of the education that’s happening in our country,” Harkes told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
“We’re always trying to tell these stories the right way and have these platforms. The best way to do that is to win. And now we have guys competing and playing all over the world with a lot of talent, great skills, and we’re seeing them now. But the emotions in the stadium during these games are unreal for me to really control them. But I love it. I’m so excited and happy that it’s happening.”
Harkes admitted feeling the added “pressure” of trying to grow football in his home country, while competing for football’s most coveted trophy. But it was something they had to “accept”. They achieved that by beating Colombia to advance to the round of 16, and this year’s team is poised to do the same after last week’s thrilling 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
United States fans celebrate during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 1, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Alex Pantling – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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“When you do something like this, it wakes up a nation,” Harkes added.
Harkes is now the technical director at McLean Youth Soccer in Virginia and an assistant coach for the U.S. U15 team, and as the sport grows, he wants respectful coaches to grow as well.
“We’re building platforms for these kids to not only have fun and compete, but also learn life skills. We have to be mentors. It’s a mentorship that you take on, and when you take on that responsibility, you’re there for the player, you’re there for the kids, and you’re also there for the parents too,” Harkes, a member of the show “Yes, Coach!” team, said. “We’re in a really good situation right now in this country where coaches have to step in with full responsibility, clear communication and be good role models. If you can become that good role model and help mentor other coaches to be good coaches where they put the player first, those are the life skills they need, and they need to be able to understand the game and respect it.
“We see too many coaches who want a win-at-all-costs mentality. I see them yelling from the sidelines at the kids, and the kids are questioning everything. They’re not even having fun. It’s not work. It’s supposed to be a sport. It’s supposed to be for fun, for them to be together as a team, to have camaraderie, to understand what sacrifice means for the player next to you, your friend, and for you to grow in “So the more we can coach the coaches to understand this part, their roles and what they’re doing with these kids is the most important part of the game, and there’s no better platform than to do it now.”
Harkes knows what the 1994 World Cup did to soccer, and he also knows how much more this year’s event can do.
The United States celebrates their victory after the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 1, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (François Nel/Getty Images)
“That summer of 1994, it was incredible. What we did in 1994 was unprecedented, to be honest with you…” Harkes said. “And we have this opportunity now, we’ve created so much passion around the men’s game. Those stories are now preserved from the past. People know who they are. We carry that into the game today and what they do on the field. It’s just a perfect match. It really is. A lot of success comes from that. And I’m really excited about what we’ve done in the past and what we’re doing now. So let’s continue to support our U.S. team and cheer them on. to go as far as they can go.
