No. 16 U.S. men are back in the World Cup Round of 16

The GIST: It only took eight long years, but the world No. 16 U.S. men are back in the World Cup Round of 16 after downing No. 20 Iran 1–0 yesterday.

The standouts: Captain America Christian Pulisic put his body on the line to score the U.S.’s lone goal in the 38th minute. He’s been diagnosed with a pelvic contusion and his status is day-to-day, but according to his Snapchat, nothing will stop him from getting back on the pitch.

• And while there’s no “I” in team, there is one in destiny. As in defender Sergiño Dest, who put on a masterclass yesterday, notching the assist for Pulisic’s goal.

• Now he’ll have the rare chance to play against his home country when the U.S. faces the No. 8 Netherlands, Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. More on that matchup in Friday’s newsletter.

The bigger picture: Yesterday’s match was loaded with geopolitical tension, and now Iran’s flying home to a country in rebellion as anti-government protests continue for the 10th straight week. Iranian players’ families were reportedly threatened with imprisonment if the men “failed to behave” ahead of the game.

• After the win, U.S. forward Tim Weah wrote that it was “an honor to share the pitch with such greatness,” lauding the inspiration of the Iranian team. Class act.

• And last but not least, we’d be remiss not to mention the prize money. Thanks to U.S. Soccer’s recent equal pay agreement, the USWNT cashed in on the men’s victory.

• In fact, even if the USMNT loses their next game, the gals will still earn more from this tournament than they did for winning the 2015 and 2019 World Cups combined. This sh!t matters.