The U.S. men's national team is back in the World Cup, and this time, they are trying to reach their tournament-best finish on home soil. The Americans need to make history by advancing from the group stage and potentially winning their first World Cup knockout game in 24 years. The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 total teams makes advancing from the group stage a bit easier for the U.S. than in previous years. However, the USMNT's potential path through the World Cup has become much more challenging to project due to the creation of the round of 32 and the eight best third-place teams advancing to the knockout rounds. The key complication is that the groups from which the third-place teams advance will determine the exact matchups. There are 495 different combinations of third-place teams, so chaos will be the story of the final matchweek as teams battle to keep their World Cup dreams alive. The third-place teams will be ranked by these criteria, in order: 1. Points 2. Goal difference 3. Goals scored 4. Team conduct score 5. FIFA world ranking. If the U.S. finishes first in Group D, the team will secure a spot in the round of 32, but its opponent will most likely not be known until the group stage is complete. The U.S. could face the runner-up from any of five groups: B, E, F, I, or J. If the U.S. finishes second, the team will advance to the round of 32 and face the runner-up of Group G, which contains Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. If the U.S. finishes third, the team's fate will depend on whether it finished as one of the eight best third-placed teams. If the U.S. advances, it will face the winner of Group E, I, or K in the round of 32 — plausible opponents include Germany, France, Portugal, or Colombia. If not, the U.S. will be eliminated from the World Cup. If the U.S. finishes fourth, the team's World Cup journey will be over, and four years of hand-wringing will commence.