ATLANTA — HBO Max premiered the first episode of "U.S. Against the World: Four Years With the Men's National Team," a five-part docuseries chronicling the United States men's national soccer team, on May 12 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. New episodes air Tuesdays at the same time on HBO and HBO Max.

The series, directed by Rand Getlin and Janina Pelayo, follows the team over the four years after its elimination from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the U.S. reached the round of 16. It features current head coach Mauricio Pochettino, former head coach Gregg Berhalter, journalist Paul Tenorio, and 17 players including Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie.

The period covered includes the team's failure to advance out of the group stage at the 2024 Copa América and the coaching change that brought in Pochettino, an Argentine, to replace Berhalter. A film crew captured losses, the coaching transition, and a phone-shaped hole in the drywall of Pulisic's home.

Pulisic said he threw his phone so hard it made a hole in his wall after backlash questioning his commitment to the national team. He had sat out the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup to rest while several of the team's most reliable players were injured. "We made a pact to each other that we want to change soccer in America forever, and there's no better opportunity than to play a World Cup on home soil," Pulisic said.

Defender Tim Ream described Pochettino's approach to training, saying the coach brings an "intensity" and continually questions a player's place on the team. Getlin described the access the filmmakers obtained from the squad. "The players, of course, are never going to tell you exactly how heavy it is, but they tell us, and that's what we're hoping to share with viewers," Getlin said.

Getlin also described the series' broader focus. "It's a deeper look at the cost of pursuing this end — which for them is: 'We just want to make the country proud. We have to put on good performances to do that, and I'm willing to sacrifice damn near anything to achieve that outcome,'" he said.

The United States men's national team has appeared in 12 of the 23 World Cups held since 1930. A subscription to HBO Max is required to watch the series without cable.