July 5, 2026

Bart Verbruggen of the Netherlands, one of the World Cup teams with a close Big Four parallel. Verbruggen is facedown, lamenting a bad penalty-kick goal he had just allowed to Morocco in a penalty shootout

Photo: Luke Hales/Getty Images

The Big Four Guide to World Cup Teams: Finding the U.S. Sports Twin for Soccer Giants

Evan M. Thompson, Editor-in-chief
July 5, 2026

Boston Red Sox
General Baseball

The Big Four Guide to World Cup Teams (Author’s Note: For those new to or unfamiliar with soccer, “friendly” is soccer’s word for “exhibition game.” What defines a “competitive match” can vary depending on who is speaking, though there are universals, like the World Cup or a continental championship. For purposes of this article, a […]