Arsenal legend makes bold prediction about the USA at 2026 World Cup

England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright has backed the United States to make a remarkable run to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The former striker predicted after the Americans secured qualification for the knockout rounds with two impressive victories in their opening group-stage matches.

Co-hosts USA have enjoyed a perfect start to their World Cup campaign under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The Americans opened the tournament with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Paraguay before following it up with a comfortable 2-0 win against Australia.

Those results guaranteed their place in the knockout stages with a game to spare and strengthened the belief that they could become one of the competition's surprise packages.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Wright expressed confidence in the host nation's ability to progress deep into the tournament.

He said, "I think America will get to the semi-finals."

The prediction is one of the strongest endorsements yet of the USA's World Cup prospects, especially given the quality of teams competing in the expanded 48-team tournament.

The USA will round off their Group D campaign against Turkey, who have already been eliminated from the tournament.

With qualification already secured, Pochettino could choose to rotate his squad ahead of the knockout rounds while maintaining momentum.