USMNT Prepares for World Cup 2026: European Giants Arrive for Friendlies

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the U.S. Men’s National Team enters a preparation cycle unlike almost anything in its modern history. After respectable showings against Paraguay and Uruguay — two matches that demonstrated the team’s ability to handle the intensity and unpredictability of South American opponents — head coach Mauricio Pochettino has asked for something very different.

He asked for tougher challenges. The federation delivered.

Belgium, Portugal and Germany are set to travel to the United States in spring and early summer of 2026, forming one of the most ambitious pre-World Cup friendly windows USMNT has undertaken in decades.

These are not just European heavyweights rich with tradition — they are three national teams whose playing identities, tactical tendencies and structural profiles differ sharply. Belgium, transitioning into a new era but still defined by technical ambition. Portugal, fluid and dynamic, capable of shifting tempos instantly. And Germany, the long-standing tactical barometer of European football, disciplined, structured and unforgiving.

For a U.S. side aiming to make a meaningful impact on home soil, these tests are exactly the kind that reveal truths — both encouraging and uncomfortable.

Confirmed Pre-World Cup Friendlies

March 28, 2026 — Belgium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
March 31, 2026 — Portugal
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
May 31, 2026 — Opponent TBA
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
Send-off / warm-up match
June 6, 2026 — Germany
Soldier Field, Chicago
Official pre-World Cup send-off

A Spectacle Before the Spectacle

For U.S. fans, these matchups form an ideal lead-in to what is set to be the most significant World Cup in the history of American sports. If the World Cup itself is the spectacle, then this spring-to-summer preparation period is its prologue — a spectacle before the spectacle — a rare chance to see where the USMNT stands against some of the strongest, most stylistically diverse teams in world football.

For Pochettino, the term “friendly” hardly applies. These aren’t casual exhibitions; they are controlled experiments — opportunities to push the squad out of its comfort zone, stress-test its tactical versatility and clarify decisions on formation, lineup rotation, and ultimately the final World Cup roster.