The U.S. men’s national team’s recently released 2026 World Cup campaign with the slogan, “Never Chase Reality,” prompted strong criticism and mocking from one of the country’s most prominent soccer figures: Megan Rapinoe.
The now retired Rapinoe helped the U.S. women’s national team win consecutive World Cups in 2015 and 2019. She also helped the USWNT an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and a bronze medal in 2021.
Considered one of the greatest female players in history, Rapinoe took exception to the new slogan, as she explained in the latest episode of her A Touch More Podcast, alongside former WNBA star Sue Bird and sports media personality Katie Nolan.
“The team’s [USMNT] slogan heading into the World Cup, this was like their big drop,” Rapinoe said with a smirk. “Their slogan is ‘Never chase reality.’ I was like ‘guys, I don’t think it’s saying what you think it’s saying.
“I’m like, why didn’t we just stick with ‘Dream Big?’ I don’t know, to me it said like you already think you’re not good. So I didn’t like that.”
The Meaning Behind the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup Campaign
Chase Dreams.
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) December 5, 2025
Chase Greatness.
Chase Legacy.
Never Chase Reality. pic.twitter.com/oU6qK3gcDH
“Reality says the odds are stacked against us. To think our men can never raise the world’s biggest trophy.” These are the powerful words that kick-off the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup promotional campaign.
The USMNT released its 2026 World Cup slogan and campaign the day that the group stage was mapped out during the 2026 World Cup draw on Dec. 5.
In the words of U.S. Soccer, the campaign, “honors the past, challenges expectations and invites fans to believe in what’s possible. Combining insights from fan research and sentiment analysis to reflecting the hope and ambition of the players.”
Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernández narrates the 90-second video campaign and has his own perspective on what the campaign slogan signifies.
“This campaign isn’t just about soccer; it’s about the American dream,” Hernández said. “Never chasing reality means ignoring the odds and daring to dream.”
The campaign hopes to highlight the resilience of the USMNT and calls for fans to unite behind Mauricio Pochettino’s side in their quest for a historic result in the 2026 World Cup. Or as the campaign states, “Be the first soccer team to beat them [the rest of the world] at football.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Megan Rapinoe Slams USMNT Over New 2026 World Cup Slogan.