The 2018 USA national team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after losing to Trinidad and Tobago.
The decisive match was played on October 10, 2017, in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago. The hosts won 2–1, eliminating the United States from CONCACAF qualifying. The result was especially shocking because Trinidad and Tobago had already been eliminated from contention.
The United States had qualified for every World Cup from 1990 through 2014, so this was its first failure to reach the tournament since 1986. The team’s campaign had already been damaged by poor results against Mexico and Costa Rica, and its final defeat allowed Panama and Honduras to move ahead in the standings.
A common wording shortcut is to call the opponent simply “Trinidad,” but the country’s official name is Trinidad and Tobago. The match was part of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, not the tournament itself.