USMNT 2026 World Cup Schedule: Key Friendlies and Chicago Sendoff

The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) just wrapped up its 2025 calendar with a win over Uruguay in Tampa, Florida. Now, everyone’s eyes are on the 2026 World Cup, and the team’s schedule is finally coming into focus.

The USMNT will play a handful of friendlies and hold a pre-World Cup camp to get ready. Here’s a closer look at what’s ahead as they build toward the big tournament.

Pre-World Cup Friendlies and Camp

Before the World Cup, the USMNT has four friendlies lined up. The first two are set for March in Atlanta, facing Portugal and Belgium—both of whom just punched their tickets to the World Cup.

They’ll play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The last two friendlies will happen in late May and early June, during a multi-city camp leading up to the tournament.

Friendlies in March

With Portugal and Belgium clear of the European playoffs, they’ll square off against the USMNT in Atlanta. These games matter—they give the team a real chance to see how they stack up against elite European squads.

Pre-World Cup Camp

The camp kicks off May 27 in the Atlanta area, specifically at U.S. Soccer’s new national training center in Fayetteville, Georgia. This shiny new facility will be the USMNT’s home base until June 5.

During this stretch, the team will play two more friendlies. The first is likely in Charlotte, though the opponent won’t be set until after the World Cup draw on December 5. The second friendly puts them up against Germany in Chicago.

Roster Selection and Training

Coach Mauricio Pochettino plans to name his roster before camp even begins, a bit of a shift from previous approaches. He figures it’s tough to bring more than 26 guys and then cut someone at the last second.

So, he’ll bring the 26 he trusts and only call in replacements if he has to. It’s a more straightforward way to handle things, honestly.

Training Schedule

The squad comes together in Atlanta on May 27 and gets to work at the national training center. They’ll stay there through June 5, then head to Charlotte for the first friendly.

After that match, they’ll return to Atlanta before flying to Chicago to take on Germany. Once that’s done, the team will move to Southern California and set up camp at the University of California, Irvine, starting June 7.

World Cup Group Stage

The USMNT’s opening game in the 2026 World Cup lands on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, just outside LA. Their second game is June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle.

They’ll go back to Irvine to prep for the group finale on June 25, which will also be at SoFi Stadium—though it’ll be called “Los Angeles Stadium” for the tournament.

Potential Knockout Stage

How the USMNT finishes the group will determine what comes next:

• If they top Group D, they’ll play the Round of 32 on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
• If they’re runners-up, they’ll play July 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, near Dallas.
• If they finish third, advancing depends on their points and how other third-place teams do, since the top eight third-place teams move on.
• If they end up fourth, that’s the end of the road.

World Cup Draw and Preparations

The USMNT will find out two or maybe all three of their group opponents on December 5, when the World Cup draw takes place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Coach Pochettino and U.S. Soccer officials will be there for the draw, plus a handful of meetings and events.

They’ll also hit a summit in New York on December 2. It’s going to be a busy week, no doubt.

Opponent Scouting and Promotional Events

Once the draw wraps up, the USMNT staff will start scouting their opponents and prepping for March camp. There’ll be promotional stuff happening too.

The new World Cup kit should drop in March, and players have already gotten a sneak peek at the design. That’s always a fun moment for the squad.

Challenges Ahead

One big challenge for Coach Pochettino and his staff: they won’t see the players much in the months leading up to the World Cup. There won’t be a January camp in 2026, so the stretch from now until March 23, 2026, will be the longest Pochettino’s gone without his squad since he took over.