The USMNT began looking at its 2026 friendlies with more confidence after closing out 2025 on a high note. Even days after the match in Tampa against Uruguay, the impact of that performance still shapes internal evaluations and boosts the team’s belief heading into the next steps. Mauricio Pochettino’s squad enters the World Cup year more stable, with a clearer playing identity and a friendly schedule that will put the group up against top-level opponents.
The weight of the first FIFA window in 2026
The performance against Uruguay isn’t being treated as an isolated moment. The USMNT finished the year with five straight games without a loss, all against teams already qualified for the World Cup and ranked inside FIFA’s top 40. Japan, Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay brought different types of challenges, and the United States responded with consistency.
That context strengthens the plan set for March. According to The Athletic, the U.S. plans to use Atlanta as its training base and face Portugal and Belgium in the first FIFA window. The idea is to test the team in situations that demand focus, quick decisions and adaptability.
The schedule also includes a friendly against Germany, expected to take place in Chicago. The choice isn’t random. The federation wants to keep the team connected to different environments across the country, both for logistical reasons and to tap into the symbolic value of local support.
The first friendly in the immediate pre-World Cup period doesn’t have an opponent yet, but Charlotte appears to be the leading candidate to host the match. The decision will take into account the World Cup draw on December 5, which will influence the ideal profile for that final-phase opponent.
Pochettino’s strategy
Pochettino doesn’t plan to expand the group during these friendlies. The coach prefers to work only with the 26 players who will make the final World Cup squad. Calling up extra players creates more complications than benefits, especially because of the cuts that would need to be made in the end.
That makes the March window even more decisive. The period will be less about individual tests and more about fine-tuning collective behaviors, organizing defensive and attacking structures and identifying who arrives in the best rhythm before the final call-up. The USMNT enters 2026 with more stability, with clear signs of growth and with a run of friendlies that could give Pochettino the answers he still needs before the World Cup.