For the more than 70 players who have shabby the U.S. men’s national squad jersey since Mauricio Pochettino took over with a command to harvest a good World Cup presentation on home soil, March is the month that totals. The 48-team competition, which the U.S. will co-host together with North American nations Canada and Mexico, doesn’t kick off until June. Pochettino won’t designate his 26-strong World Cup group until late May.
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But with just a trickle of tune-up sports to play before then, in contradiction to Belgium and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Atlanta, those displays are anything but empty. The idea is that the World Cup will twitch in March, Pochettino said Thursday throughout a conference call with journalists. It’s already been numerous months since the U.S. ended its 2025 slate of sports with an imposing three-game win streak against World Cup-bound foes.
Key Players Expected to Return Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026
A run that was covered off with an emphatic 5-1 defeat of two-time champions Uruguay in November. That result came notwithstanding the absence of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and other veterans of the last World Cup in Qatar. Where the Americans stretched the round of 16 earlier than the Netherlands.

Pulisic and McKennie are expected to return in March if fit, but Pochettino has made it clear that nobody’s World Cup spot is definite. And with rivalry for places for the March matches just as violent, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager maintained. That whoever is bade will have to earn that honor. That goes for those who are now injured, like defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, striker Ricardo Pepi, and 2022 captain Tyler Adams.
Limited Pre-Tournament Matches Add Pressure to Perform
If they are not fit, Pochettino said, they are not successful in being part of the schedule in March. With just four display games, the two March matches in Atlanta. Along with a May 31 match against Senegal in Charlotte and a June 6 engagement with Germany in Chicago to go until the USA unlocks. It’s World Cup movement on June 12 versus Paraguay in Los Angeles, there is no time left over. Click to read more about USA vs Australia Tickets.
It’s not that we have only four welcoming games, he said. We have four World Cup sports that are significant to take with the idea that we need to achieve. Fullback Alex Freeman is off to a Winners League member in Spain’s Villarreal. An additional huge leap up for a player who was part of an MLS and USMNT beginner last year.

Player Transfers and Fitness Impact World Cup Readiness
Pochettino was asked about the threats of players like Freeman and Ricardo Pepi. He is being hotly pursued by Premier League side Fulham, switching bats so close to the World Cup, and perhaps failing to settle in correctly away. When you change, it’s because you are persuaded that you’re going to be healthier in that home than in the place that you are, said Pochettino. Who added that Freeman called him earlier?
Pochettino said you are essential to be very usual and take what you trust is the best option for you, for your domestic. I am not concerned, he added. I always imagine the best thing, and for sure, continuously for me, it’s significant that the player feels happy. The 23-year-old striker won’t return to act for Dutch winners PSV Eindhoven until the middle of March, just before the global breakdown begins. I asked Pochettino if he imagines Pepi to be fit and available for duty later that month.
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Why are the March friendlies important for the USMNT before the FIFA World Cup 2026?
March friendlies let Pochettino test players, measure tactics, and build team unity ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on home soil.
Which key USMNT players are expected to return in the March friendlies?
Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are expected to be fit, giving the squad experience and management before the World Cup begins.
How many pre-World Cup matches does the USMNT have before June 12?
The USMNT has four key warm-up competitions in March and May to make for the opening World Cup 2026 match against Paraguay.
How does player fitness impact USMNT selection for March friendlies?
Injured players like Cameron Carter-Vickers and Ricardo Pepi need to be fully fit to earn a home in the March World Cup groundwork games.
Why are March friendlies critical for squad selection in the Football World Cup 2026?
With only four introductory games, performances in March control who secures an advert in Pochettino’s final 26-man World Cup squad.
How do player transfers affect the USMNT’s readiness for the Soccer World Cup?
Moves like Alex Freeman to Villarreal or Ricardo Pepi to PSV can influence match fitness and judgment, influencing World Cup groundwork.
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