ATLANTA — With the FIFA World Cup just over two months away and two high-profile friendlies coming up, the pressure on the U.S. men’s national team is real.
The U.S. faces Belgium (No. 9) on Saturday and Portugal (No. 5) on Tuesday, both at Atlanta’s Mercedes‑Benz Stadium. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino said the federation scheduled elite opponents intentionally. “We decided to bring this type of opponent in because we wanted to play against the good teams, teams that can show our reality,” he told reporters. He also admitted roster selection will be difficult: “It’s going to be tough to pick the right players for the final roster. It is a big, big job. I am suffering two months in advance.”
Stars like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie acknowledged the added scrutiny of hosting the tournament. “Hosting a World Cup on home soil, it comes with its pressures,” McKennie said. Pulisic added, “There’s pressure. I feel it. Yes, like, it’s there. But it’s nothing that I can’t handle. I’m going to attack it head on. We are as a team. I don’t need to do it by myself.”
These friendlies will be the first real test of how the U.S. stacks up against true World Cup contenders. Pochettino and the players stress that the matches are not mere exhibitions. “These friendlies are not friendlies,” midfielder Cristian Roldan said. “So that’s our chance to show what we’re capable of, who we can compete against.”
Optimism has grown since a disappointing 2024. Since last September the U.S. went unbeaten, beating Japan, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay and drawing with Ecuador — five nations headed to the World Cup. A strong showing against Belgium and Portugal would suggest the team can compete deep into the knockout rounds; a win or three over teams of that quality will be necessary to make a serious run. Belgium is also a potential early knockout-stage opponent this summer.
The games are also the final auditions before Pochettino names his World Cup roster in late May, which has intensified camp. “All the guys are staking their claim. Everyone wants to be on the roster. Everyone wants to prove it,” Pulisic said.
Some selections are clear: Pulisic and McKennie are virtual locks barring injury. Harder calls involve younger contributors who have emerged over the past year — players such as Diego Luna, Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter — whose places on the squad are still in question.
The U.S. will co‑host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico, marking the first time the U.S. hosts World Cup matches since 1994. That 1994 tournament helped accelerate soccer’s growth in America; another deep run this year could create lasting memories and boost the game’s profile further. The deepest modern-era U.S. run remains the 2002 quarterfinals, which required upset wins over top-10 teams including Portugal and Mexico.
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure at the World Cup. We’re obviously hosting it. We’re in good form. There’s a lot of expectation within our locker room,” Roldan said. “With pressure there’s a huge responsibility on our part to show up and create those long-lasting memories for the next generation.”