US Soccer's Star-Studded Friendlies: Pochettino Unveils Pre-World Cup Showdowns Against Belgium, Portugal, and Germany
In a bid to bolster their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) has announced a series of highly anticipated friendlies. The squad will face a quartet of top-tier European opponents in the run-up to the tournament, providing an ideal platform to test their mettle against some of the world's best teams.
The USMNT's march towards the World Cup gets underway with two matches against Belgium and Portugal in March. Both games are slated to take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on consecutive days – 28th and 31st March, respectively. Following this doubleheader, the team will embark on a pre-World Cup tour of friendlies that promises to be nothing short of thrilling.
First up is a match against an opponent yet to be confirmed in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31st. Reports suggest that the USMNT's World Cup draw has been factored into this fixture, with the potential opponent set to be revealed after the tournament draw takes place later this year. FIFA regulations dictate that group opponents cannot play each other in friendly matches ahead of the World Cup.
US Soccer's latest announcement marks a significant move for the team as they seek to establish themselves at their new Atlanta headquarters. The city has already seen the construction of a brand-new national training center, underscoring the nation's commitment to nurturing top-class talent.
Meanwhile, the European elite is looking to leave its mark on the USMNT during this pre-World Cup showdown. Both Belgium and Portugal boast FIFA rankings that place them firmly within the top 10 – making for enticing matchups against two teams the Americans have previously encountered in international competitions.
Belgium's visit will feature a star-studded lineup, with Kevin De Bruyne and Thibault Courtois set to lead the charge. Their opponents will also face Cristiano Ronaldo, albeit under different circumstances – as he has yet to play in the United States since being accused of sexual assault in Las Vegas back in 2017.
The USMNT's next outing will be a homecoming for Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff. A match against Germany in Chicago on June 6th promises to be an electrifying encounter, with both teams boasting a rich history in international football. The Germans made headlines in the 2014 World Cup by defeating the USMNT 1-0 in rainy conditions.
For Pochettino and his team, these matches represent a golden opportunity to gauge their squad's form ahead of the highly anticipated World Cup draw on December 5th. As he succinctly put it, "This is a massive opportunity for us to challenge ourselves against some of the top teams in the world."
In a bid to bolster their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) has announced a series of highly anticipated friendlies. The squad will face a quartet of top-tier European opponents in the run-up to the tournament, providing an ideal platform to test their mettle against some of the world's best teams.
The USMNT's march towards the World Cup gets underway with two matches against Belgium and Portugal in March. Both games are slated to take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on consecutive days – 28th and 31st March, respectively. Following this doubleheader, the team will embark on a pre-World Cup tour of friendlies that promises to be nothing short of thrilling.
First up is a match against an opponent yet to be confirmed in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31st. Reports suggest that the USMNT's World Cup draw has been factored into this fixture, with the potential opponent set to be revealed after the tournament draw takes place later this year. FIFA regulations dictate that group opponents cannot play each other in friendly matches ahead of the World Cup.
US Soccer's latest announcement marks a significant move for the team as they seek to establish themselves at their new Atlanta headquarters. The city has already seen the construction of a brand-new national training center, underscoring the nation's commitment to nurturing top-class talent.
Meanwhile, the European elite is looking to leave its mark on the USMNT during this pre-World Cup showdown. Both Belgium and Portugal boast FIFA rankings that place them firmly within the top 10 – making for enticing matchups against two teams the Americans have previously encountered in international competitions.
Belgium's visit will feature a star-studded lineup, with Kevin De Bruyne and Thibault Courtois set to lead the charge. Their opponents will also face Cristiano Ronaldo, albeit under different circumstances – as he has yet to play in the United States since being accused of sexual assault in Las Vegas back in 2017.
The USMNT's next outing will be a homecoming for Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff. A match against Germany in Chicago on June 6th promises to be an electrifying encounter, with both teams boasting a rich history in international football. The Germans made headlines in the 2014 World Cup by defeating the USMNT 1-0 in rainy conditions.
For Pochettino and his team, these matches represent a golden opportunity to gauge their squad's form ahead of the highly anticipated World Cup draw on December 5th. As he succinctly put it, "This is a massive opportunity for us to challenge ourselves against some of the top teams in the world."
... like what's the point of playing Belgium and Portugal just to get destroyed 
? they're gonna be super tough to beat, right? and Germany's match is gonna be a snooze fest 
. we need to focus on our own team's development, not just getting thrashed by Europeans 
... also, has anyone thought about the logistics of these friendlies? aren't they gonna throw off our squad's rhythm and timing? 
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. Belgium and Portugal are both loaded with talent, and germany's got that classic team mentality going on 
. but puchettino's squad has some talented young blood, so its not like they're going in blind 
. might be a good chance for them to prove themselves against these top teams 
. The fact that the Germans are playing again is also super exciting, considering what happened back in 2014 
️. It's gonna be interesting to see what Mauricio Pochettino does with his squad - he seems like a solid coach 
. Hopefully, it's all just hype and we get some good wins out of this 
also, germany's been holding a grudge against us since 2014... nice move coaching staff, going all out against our bitter rivals 
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I THINK IT'S AMAZING THAT POCHETTINO IS GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO SHOW OFF THEIR SKILLS AGAINST BELGIUM, PORTUGAL, AND GERMANY!!! 
THOSE GUYS HAVE BEEN DOMINATING THE WORLD CUP FOR YEARS NOW. IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THEY HANDLE THE PRESSURE. ALSO, IT'S COOL THAT THE MARCH MATCHES ARE IN ATLANTA - MY FAVE CITY!!! 
. Pochettino seems like a super cool coach too, all about giving his team a chance to shine in these big games 
. The fact that Germany is playing in Chicago will also make for an intense match – those two teams have a long history of competition 
And let's not forget about the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is coming to America for the first time since 2017... I'm low-key hyped 
Can't wait to see how these teams match up and what this says about their chances in the World Cup! 
this friendlies schedule looks insane!!! like who wouldn't wanna watch the USMNT go up against Belgium and Portugal?! 
their FIFA rankings are crazy high and they always bring their A-game. I'm low-key hyped for that match in Chicago too, Germany is a tough opponent and it'll be awesome to see how our boys handle them 
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it's gonna be so interesting to see Pochettino's tactics against these top-tier teams. maybe this is the push they need to make a deep run in the tournament 
! Belgium and Portugal are gonna bring the heat, especially with De Bruyne and Ronaldo on the pitch 
. And let's be real, who wouldn't want to see Germany in action? That match in Chicago is gonna be a real barnburner 
. Belgium and Portugal are gonna give them a run for their money, especially with that star-studded lineup in Belgium 
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. I mean, Pochettino says it's a "massive opportunity" and all that jazz, but we've heard that before 
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. It's just another excuse for them to charge us more money for tickets 
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It's just going to be another excuse for them to get blown out by some top-tier teams and still manage to coast into the World Cup. And don't even get me started on how predictable it is that they're playing in Atlanta - like, can't we see the same games played out every 5 years?