Tyler Adams knows he’s part of a generation of United States men’s national team players with unprecedented pedigree and massive potential.
That potential goes beyond talent and throughout the sport, which will head to the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup.
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And it’s not lost on RB Leipzig midfielder Adams that big wins over Mexico for two trophies and a table-spot currently on pace for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and just steps in that direction.
“We’re still going through a huge learning curve and we have to be patient in that process but we’re continuing to check things off,” Adams told Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett in an exclusive interview that aired this week.
Adams, who has captained the USMNT seven times in his 22 caps, also delved into what he thinks went wrong with the American men’s team in the past.
After discussing the pay-to-play woes of United States soccer, Adams acknowledged that a sense of entitlement had bled into the red, white, and blue.
“Sometimes we’ve had the mentality that something’s going to be handed to us and we don’t have to fight for it but I think it’s in the U.S. DNA to work hard for things,” Adams said. “That’s why I find it contradicting because when you watch the U.S. Soccer programs play, we’ve always built our game on hard work and grinding it out and that’s something we’re trying to bring back.”