Chicago Delivers Electrifying Atmosphere USMNT Needs Amidst World Cup Exclusion

CHICAGO -- Chicago hoisted home crowd expectations upon its big shoulders on Saturday. The nation's third-largest city won't officially host a World Cup game this year, but it set the stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a sellout crowd of 63,636 during the U.S. men's national team send-off game against Germany at Soldier Field.

The USMNT will have the honor of being one of three host nations in the tournament, alongside Mexico and Canada , and, with it, could come a big home-field advantage. If history has often been on the side of home teams, backed by their crowds, Saturday's match showed that underdogs can fight back against contenders.

Despite the 2-1 loss , the early glimpse of how home environments can function during the tournament could be an x-factor for the U.S. national team moving forward.

Sneak peek of World Cup matchday environments

The build-up towards the game featured high energy and good vibes. U.S. Soccer invited the men's 1994 World Cup team to the game as a throwback to the 1994 FIFA World Cup opener to send off the team with well-wishes.

Thousands of people in attendance surrounded the stadium campus to enjoy the day, tailgate, attend U.S. Soccer's "Block Party," and interact with other locals. The send-off match showcased how other cities could incorporate their civic culture throughout game days and more.

> Vibe are incredible in Chicago today for #USMNT the bucket boys are out and Banner loves them pic.twitter.com/wyJwYZMvRo — Sandra💙💯⚽️ (@Sandherrera_) June 6, 2026

During hydration breaks, the stadium DJ played house music, an ode to Chicago as the genre's birthplace, and played a special CGI video featuring an American bald eagle soaring throughout the streets of Chicago and around iconic landmarks, in a reference to how the Chicago Bulls feature a running of the bulls video before their games.

> Not an American bald eagle flying through Chicago! #USMNT pic.twitter.com/TIaAFzO1ve — Sandra💙💯⚽️ (@Sandherrera_) June 6, 2026

Though the USMNT fell behind early, conceding a goal in the opening two minutes, the group quickly worked themselves into the match by getting into dangerous spaces and drawing reactions from the stands. The home crowd was stirred into a frenzy  when Antonne Robinson scored a ridiculous equalizer to level the game before halftime.

The experiences set the vibes

Saturday's game was also a temperature check on World Cup crowds in the future, how stadiums could prepare, and what FIFA could expect down the road.

The football governing body made recent headlines for a water bottle ban during the summer tournament. They quickly reconsidered and revised the policy, allowing fans to bring in one plastic bottle to games. It's a good example of listening to what fans want during in-person attendance at the competition, though the main public issue remains incredibly high ticket prices, with FIFA's ticketing for several games surpassing $1,000. a piece.

FIFA is also rolling out ways to make this year's World Cup an  even bigger fan event , with revamped "fan-centric pre-match ceremonies" featuring new visual elements during the 2026 event.

Saturday's match in Chicago already featured a mix of both, with Chicagoans joined by non-locals to pack Soldier Field for the USMNT final send-off game. Eboni Christmas is a member of "American Outlaws," the official supporters group of the U.S. national team, and traveled from North Carolina for the send-off event.

"I made the trip to Chicago because so many of my friends were here, and it's always a fun time when we get together. Plus the historical matchup was hard to ignore," Christmas said.

"I was already hyped for the World Cup despite how FIFA has tried so hard to make this game inaccessible to the working man and woman. The atmosphere at Soldier Field is always electric, and I'm happy to be here for the USMNT."

A third-coast send-off

The energy for the match was palpable from pre-game events, through halftime, and after the match. Though Germany neutralized the USMNT's first-half momentum with a go-ahead goal in the second half from Leroy Sane , the moment never truly deflated the home side.

If anything, it presented an important scenario for the group as they turn the page towards the 2026 World Cup.

"I don't think any of these tune-up games are about tactics, you know what I mean? Like, we've trained together, we've played together, we've worked on under Mauricio for a year and a half now. Like, we understand the tactics. It has to be about the mentality, and if we're ready for the moment. I think today we showed we're ready for the moment," Tyler Adams said after the game.

"Competing, fouling, getting in scraps together, like having each other's backs. That's what you need as a team to win a tournament. So, again, that's the most important thing going into this, having the fans' support. The flags, waving, you know, cheers for us nonstop to give us that extra motivation in the toughest moments to be able to run back, sprint back, fight. Like all those kinds of things. That's what we need."

For defender Alex Freeman , son of former Green Bay Packer Antonio Freeman, the game even symbolized a bigger moment.

"I was just telling my dad, you know, I hope none of the Chicago fans are gonna kill him today," Freeman joked after the game about the Packers' rivalry with the Chicago Bears.

The 21-year-old Freeman made his senior team debut for the group just a year ago against Turkiye , and he is the youngest player named to the USMNT World Cup roster. He's not taking the loss so much as a lesson, but as a jumping-off point for the team into his first-ever senior-level World Cup

"The support was amazing today, and I feel like for us it's also, we want to be able to kind of play for our fans, to be able to kind of play for them, and to have this kind of support today, just so amazing for us, and we just want to do whatever we can for them," Freeman explained.

"For me, it's surreal, right? But it's also something for me to enjoy. I feel like, if you play in a World Cup, and knowing I can play my first in my home country, I feel like it's something that I can't take for granted. This opportunity will probably come once in my playing career. It's, 'How can I take this chance and how can I prove that I deserve to be in this World Cup?' and hopefully in the future."

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/world-cup-party-chicago-atmosphere-usmnt-need/)._