And Richards can't wait for the opening game against the South Americans in Los Angeles.
He told The Rest is Football: "SoFi [Stadium] is crazy. Probably 70,000-seater, for one of the opening games is the World Cup. I expect it to be packed.
"I've thought about it for weeks, for months, what that opening national anthem is going to sound like.
"When I first heard the national anthem with the national team, I remember thinking of my family. I remember thinking of every coach I've had along the way, every player I've played with.
"It's not just me playing for a national team, it's everybody that's helped me get to this point."
Despite having host advantage, few pundits are tipping the Americans to go into the latter stages of the competition.
But with Richards having just won his third trophy with Palace in the space of a year, he believes anything is possible.
"I think Americans, we're a country of dreamers. It hasn't happened yet [winning a World Cup], but that doesn't mean it can't happen.
"We're 26 players representing 400million people, so we go into the tournament with belief and we're there to tell a story."
