Mauricio Pochettino

The United States men’s national team only have four games left to play until the 2026 World Cup. That’s right, there are just four 2026 USMNT friendlies before the Stars and Stripes take on the planet’s best in the World Cup.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino will get to test his players against Europe’s elite next year with top European nations on the schedule.

Here’s a look at who the USMNT will face before the World Cup next summer.

2026 USMNT friendlies

Exact dates are still TBA.

The United States men’s national team roster for the 2026 World Cup is a true mystery just eight months away from the start of the tournament. Cristian Roldan threw another curveball into the plan with an impressive performance in the midfield during the USMNT’s 2-1 friendly win vs. Australia on Tuesday.

It’s no secret that the 30-year-old Seattle Sounders midfielder has his fair share of critics among the U.S. fanbase. Roldan has often been a metaphorical punching bag for fans during his limited appearances for the national team over the past few years.

In one of the strangest national team stories in recent memory, Borussia Mönchengladbach and USMNT defender, Joe Scally, was reportedly left off the U.S. men’s national team’s September roster… for doing donuts in a golf cart. 

Yes, you read that right. 

Joe Scally golf cart rumor

Ladies and gentlemen, the United States men’s national team are beginning to seriously worry me. If the “worry scale” was similar to DEFCON then I’d say the USMNT are at DEFCON 3.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino shocked fans on Tuesday with a bizarre 22-man roster for two September friendlies. Big names like Weston McKennie, Johnny Cardoso, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna were all left off the roster.

Robinson and Balogun are returning from injury, however the rest were simply left off the roster due to a coaching decision.

The United States men’s national team dominated Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in their Concacaf Gold Cup opener on Sunday, but do the people care?

Despite the home World Cup being just a year out, the USMNT’s draw appears to be at a low that hasn’t been seen in recent history. Sunday’s game was played at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, which has a capacity of 18,000. 

The venue was far from filled with a reported attendance of 12,610.

The scene at the stadium 10 minutes from kickoff was hard to believe.

USMNT attendance vs Trinidad and Tobago

With a chance to enter the CONCACAF Gold Cup on a positive note, the U.S. men's national team instead continued its slide with an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Switzerland in a friendly at Nashville on Tuesday.

The U.S. squad is missing most of its best players, but it now takes a four-match losing streak into its Gold Cup opener against Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday.

Full time from Nashville. pic.twitter.com/eeUaUiRhQd

Former United States men’s national team head coach Bruce Arena criticized U.S. Soccer’s decision to hire Argentine head coach Mauricio Pochettino arguing that an American is the best fit for the job.

Speaking on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, Arena said that foreign coaches fail to understand the culture of American soccer and players.

Bruce Arena Pochettino comments

For the first time since 2019 it appears that the United States men’s national team will send a full strength squad to the Concacaf Gold Cup.

FOX Soccer’s Doug McIntyre spoke with Alexi Lalas and reported that this summer’s Gold Cup will see the best U.S. players competing.

USMNT Gold Cup roster expected to be full strength

An Antonee Robinson injury is the last news that United States men’s national team fans wanted to hear ahead of the Concacaf Nations League semifinal on Thursday vs. Panama. Robinson is one of three U.S. players named to the initial roster that will be unavailable.

Johnny Cardoso and Auston Trusty will also miss the Nations League final four due to injury.

Antonee Robinson injury

The 2025 USMNT Nations League roster was announced on Tuesday with head coach Mauricio Pochettino selecting the 23 players who will aim to defeat Panama in the semifinal and the winner of Mexico/Canada in the final.

There were plenty of questions heading into the roster announcement with a litany of injuries including the likes of Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun and more. Here are the 23 players Pochettino called upon.

2025 USMNT Nations League roster

Goalkeepers: