Brian Kilmeade Blasts U.S. Men's National Team After World Cup Exit, Pushes Back on Kayleigh McEnany's Defense

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade delivered a scathing assessment of the U.S. Men’s National Team on Tuesday morning, criticizing the squad’s performance in its Round of 16 World Cup loss to Belgium and pushing back on co-host Kayleigh McEnany’s more optimistic take.
Speaking on Fox & Friends, Kilmeade did not mince words as he described the team's elimination from the tournament.
“The U.S. Team did not show up. They were absolutely awful,” Kilmeade said, calling the defeat “an absolute rout.”
Kilmeade, who owns a soccer team on Long Island with his brother, Jim, called the performance unacceptable as he discussed the match alongside McEnany and fellow co-host Lawrence Jones.
Jones noted that there had been a brief moment of hope after Malik Tillman scored, but said Belgium answered roughly 90 seconds later, sending the game downhill for the United States.
McEnany acknowledged that Americans always expect their national teams to compete for championships but argued there were still positives to take away despite the loss.
“We’re competitors in the United States,” McEnany said. “We want to win. We want to win the whole thing. We want to win the World Cup.”
She then contrasted the current men’s team with the U.S. Women’s National Team, referencing former star Megan Rapinoe and saying she appreciated what she viewed as the men's team's patriotism.
“I’m proud of them, their patriotism, and standing for the anthem and praying after every game,” McEnany said. “People can Twitter that means more to me than winning. I’m proud of this team despite loss.”
Kilmeade immediately rejected that argument, reiterating his criticism of the team's play.
“They didn’t show up. They were absolutely awful. They did not show up,” he said.
As McEnany attempted to respond with a simple “OK, Brian,” Jones jokingly remarked, “I was waiting for it.”
Kilmeade then turned his attention to goalkeeper Matt Freese, sharply criticizing his performance during the match.
“The goalie, Matt Freese, the goalie was horrible,” Kilmeade said. He faulted Freese for never coming off his line and criticized him for casually kicking the ball away before it was stripped, saying the mistake effectively ended any hopes of a comeback.
“You just can’t do it,” Kilmeade said. “You’re supposed to be the best goalie in the country.”
Jones also criticized the team's star player, Christian Pulisic, saying he struggled throughout the match.
“And their star player, slipping all over the place,” Jones said.
After Kilmeade identified the player as Pulisic, Jones added, “A no show. Get out of the game if you don’t want to play.”
Kilmeade again responded bluntly: “Absolutely awful.”
McEnany, maintaining her focus on the team's character rather than its performance, replied, “But they pray and love the flag and therefore I love them.”
Kilmeade closed the exchange by insisting that patriotism alone was not enough to excuse what he viewed as a poor showing on the field.
“Teams praying all over the country,” he said. “You have one team that’s supposed to show up. You can lose — but play your best.”