US boss Sunil Gulati refuses to stand down, despite taking responsibility for World Cup failure

US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said he would not resign and might even seek re-election, despite the Americans’ failing to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia.

Just minutes after US coach Bruce Arena resigned in the wake of Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Trinidad and Tobago, which saw the US fail to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, Gulati took the blame for the humiliating failure.

“It’s a shock to the system. We fully expected to qualify,” he said. “It’s a big disappointment … I certainly take responsibility for us not getting to Russia.”

Gulati, a 58-year-old India-born American, then outlined why he thinks he remains the right person to guide the programme back from the abyss, including the US role in a combined bid with Mexico and Canada for the 2026 World Cup.

“I don’t plan to resign,” Gulati said. “We’ve got a lot of things on our agenda, including a World Cup bid that’s due in March.