The 2022 FIFA World Cup is officially in the books. With an exciting final between Argentina and France, the South Americans took home the trophy in a penalty shootout despite Kylian Mbappé's historic hat trick. The result finally gave soccer legend Lionel Messi the only major title missing in his career.

While all eyes are on Messi, Argentina and Mbappé, the United States Men's National Team had its moments in Qatar. The Stars and Stripes finished second in Group B with two draws (Wales 1-1 and England 0-0) and a win (1-0 over Iran). Unfortunately, the Americans were not a match for the Netherlands as they lost 3-1 in the round of 16.

Still, despite all of it, USMNT was the last CONCACAF team standing as Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada failed to advance past the group stage. With the promising result in 2022, fans are hoping 2026 will be even better. With that being said, here are three reasons why USMNT will be a real threat at the 2026 World Cup

3. The roster now has World Cup experience

One of the main problems USMNT faced in recent years was missing out on the 2018 World Cup. This marked the first time the U.S. failed to qualify for the tournament since 1986. Between 2014 and 2022, the team went through a big rebuilding phase.

The team lost many key pieces such as lead scorers Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan plus goalkeeper Tim Howard. From the 2014 World Cup roster, only DeAndre Yedlin returned to the 2022 tournament. The USMNT had a youthful and inexperienced team in Qatar, but that won't be the case come 2026. 

Now, most players from the 2022 roster have a good chance of playing in 2026. Those players will be more familiar with the World Cup stage, avoiding the nerves that players usually have when making their debuts. They'll also have four more years of experience playing alongside one another, something which will be crucial towards furthering their on-field chemistry and familiarizing themselves with the playstyles of their teammates.

If head coach Gregg Berhalter can maintain his core, the USMNT should have better chemistry next time it plays. This should result in more convincing performances ahead of the tournament, leaving a better impression on fans.

2. The 2022 roster is still very young

The USMNT had an average age of 25 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, tied for the second-youngest squad in the tournament. Out of the 26 players on the roster, 24 of them were 30 years old or younger.

While this might have been a problem this year, it could turn out to be an advantage in 2026. Most of the team's core should be available for the tournament and more experienced. From the current roster, 16 players will be 30 years old or younger during the next World Cup.

Among those players is Christian Pulisic, who will be 27 during the next tournament. The Chelsea midfielder scored the Americans' game-winning goal against Iran in the group stage, sending the team to the round of 16. If he stays healthy, Pulisic could play two or even three more World Cups.

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Other important players that would be under 30 in 2026 are captain Tyler Adams and Juventus' Weston McKennie. Both play in prestigious leagues in Europe and should be even more crucial for the team next time they play.

Should most of the 2022 USMNT's young core continue being called up, they should be ready to contribute even more at the 2026 World Cup.

1. USMNT will be playing at home in 2026

At the end of the day, there is a thing that should seriously affect how the USMNT plays in 2026. The next World Cup will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada, the first time the tournament is held in more than two countries.

That means the U.S. won't need to play to qualify for the next World Cup, so the team won't have the pressure it faced for the 2018 World Cup. With a Gold Cup and the Nations League on the schedule, the Americans will still have plenty of opportunities to remain competitive against their CONCACAF rivals, especially Mexico and the rising Canadian squad.

Also, without the need to play in the World Cup qualifiers, USMNT could use those international windows to face some European or South American teams. Then, the squad will be more accustomed to facing stronger nations as opposed to playing against their typical CONCACAF foes such as Cuba or El Salvador. This should allow better and quicker development of the players, especially younger ones such as 20-year-old Giovanni Reyna and 19-year-old Ricardo Pepi, who was not even on the 2022 World Cup roster.

Most importantly, USMNT will have the fans on its side. In 1994, when the tournament was held in the U.S., the Americans had one of their best performances, only losing 1-0 to the eventual champion Brazil in the round of 16.

Playing at home has been an advantage in the past. South Korea became the first Asian nation to finish in the top four in 2002 when it co-hosted the World Cup with Japan. Five World Cup teams won the trophy while hosting the tournament, most recently France in 1998.

While winning the tournament seems more like a dream, it is not impossible to imagine the U.S. having a better campaign than in 2022. Because of that, the USMNT could be a bigger threat at the 2026 World Cup.