For some Americans, just seeing the US men's national team return to the World Cup after their failure to qualify for Russia 2018 is viewed as a success.
However, for Christian Pulisic, making it to Qatar 2022 is just the starting point, as this young USMNT group plans to make some serious waves in November and December. They don't want to just advance out of Group B – where they're drawn against England, Wales and Iran – but are aiming to secure a first-ever World Cup trophy.
"I think we're going there with the intention to go win the World Cup," Pulisic told ESPN's Herculez Gomez in an interview for Futbol Americas. "There is no reason why any team should go there without that confidence and that's exactly how we're gonna go into this big event.
"We're going to go in as a confident and a hungry side that is not going to back down from anyone and we feel that we can really make moves in this World Cup."
The USMNT, who sit No. 14 in the latest FIFA world rankings, qualified for every World Cup from 1990-2014 before missing out on the last go-around. Their highest finish in that stretch was a quarterfinal run in 2002, while the 1930 squad finished third after making the semifinal stage.
But it's clear that Pulisic, the Chelsea star often wearing the USMNT armband, is carrying a boatload of belief.
"If you don't believe that it can happen, it won't happen," said the 23-year-old forward. "We've seen crazier things happen for sure and I truly believe that we have a strong team, a strong group of guys that can accomplish anything. So that's just the way that I think and the way that I'm going to believe going into this World Cup."
Head coach Gregg Berhalter's team has two more games before it's go-time in Qatar, facing Japan on Sept. 23 and Saudi Arabia on Sept. 27. Both friendlies against World Cup-bound nations from Asia will be held in Europe.
Until then, Pulisic and his teammates are preparing – both in the ongoing MLS campaign and the impending 2022-23 European season that'll break for an unconventional non-summer World Cup. The Yanks' final squad can field up to 26 players instead of the normal 23.
For more from Pulisic, check out ESPN's full story here.
