Gronkowski Backs USMNT for World Cup Run While Learning the Game

Gronkowski Backs USMNT for World Cup Run While Learning the Game

Retired NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski has declared his support for the United States men’s national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, telling Fox News Digital he considers even reaching the Round of 16 equivalent to a championship for the program. Gronkowski, who acknowledged he did not grow up playing soccer, is co-hosting a Tubi series called “The Other Football” alongside New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston, in which the two are learning the sport alongside viewers ahead of the tournament.

The USMNT opens group-stage play on June 12 against Paraguay in Inglewood, California, followed by matches against Australia on June 19 and Türkiye on June 25. The United States is placed in Group D, and the expanded 2026 format – featuring 48 teams across 12 groups of four, up from the previous 32-team field – means two teams per group plus the eight best third-place finishers advance to the knockout rounds, widening the path to the later stages of the competition.

Gronkowski praised the physical conditioning of elite soccer players, describing their endurance as “absolutely incredible,” and acknowledged the sport demands sustained aerobic output far beyond what he encountered in professional football. He said the World Cup’s presence in the United States presents an opportunity for American audiences to engage with a sport that has historically drawn smaller domestic followings than football, basketball, or baseball.

With the group stage set to conclude June 25, attention will quickly shift to the knockout bracket. For Gronkowski, any progression past the group phase would represent a meaningful result – a benchmark that reflects where many casual American observers set their expectations for a USMNT program competing on home soil for the first time since co-hosting in 1994.