The 2026 World Cup is only just in the rearview mirror, but preparation for the 2030 tournament and the competitions preceding it has already begun.
Mauricio Pochettino is back as the U.S. men’s national team’s manager. U.S. Soccer is redesigning its sporting leadership structure, giving even more say to Pochettino and his staff on the men’s side of the program. A new generation of young talent is impressing on both sides of the Atlantic. And a brand-new four-match fall window is kicking off later this month, with a quartet of friendly opponents lined up.
What really matters for the USMNT in this upcoming camp? And what should you be on the lookout for? Our writers dive in:
When is the USMNT playing?
- Peru, September 26th
- Chile, September 29th
- Mexico, October 3rd
- Canada, October 6th
Why does this camp matter?
Sanjay Sujanthakumar: It’s the first time since 2014 where the USMNT manager at the World Cup will carry over into the start of a new World Cup cycle, and that continuity with Pochettino is especially important now.
This is also the first time the September and October FIFA dates have been merged into one longer window spanning about two weeks, U.S. Soccer secured decent opponents in these four friendlies, and it’s an opportunity for Pochettino to build on the momentum the U.S. found at the World Cup – before the Belgium game – while beginning a transition period for his player pool. There is a new generation of American prospects ready for their senior international auditions and integration.
Andrew Clausen: Because this will be our first look at how Pochettino has re-evaluated the player pool post-World Cup. The U.S. coach has shown in his tenure that he’s willing to make sweeping changes, but is that what we’ll see this camp? Or will we see smaller changes as he tries to build on the momentum of the World Cup? Will those changes be focused on getting young players into the group? Will it be focused on specific position groups?These are all questions that I have going into this extended window, one that should have enough game time for Pochettino to experiment and for us to get some real answers.
Joe Lowery: Getting more than a few training sessions at a time is a rarity in international soccer, so you can bet Pochettino and his staff are thrilled to have a longer-than-normal window to work with and establish their thoughts on a handful of young players. That’s what this window is about, right? It’s the first round of auditions for the big show in 2030. Unlike the last World Cup cycle, the U.S. has more than a few contenders to upstage the established names.
Oh, and topping a couple of genuine Concacaf rivals would go a long way towards keeping some of the folks who tuned into the USMNT for the first time at the World Cup around a while longer.
Ben Wright: There’s a chance here for the U.S. to bounce back after a really disappointing end to the World Cup. Obviously, the entire country won’t be tuned into these games the way they were dialed in over the summer. But would a convincing win over Mexico make people feel a little better? Maybe.
There was real momentum built this summer, and a clear on-field identity and style of play that emerged. After taking the better part of two years to figure out his best personnel and his tactical approach, Pochettino finally found a system that clicked. I’m hoping we see the continuation of that and not a reset.
What kind of roster do you want to see?
Sujanthakumar: There’s a real argument for roughly a dozen players who were not on the World Cup roster to crack the varsity squad.
There will be reasons to leave certain regulars out (Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are not 100% match fit) and some young players who are still acclimating to their first teams (Zavier Gozo and Mathis Albert). Pochettino has already hinted that players who recently arrived at new clubs in general may not be named to this roster. Overall, I’d like to see a mix of some core players who don’t need the rest, squad guys, and prospects, and it sounds like that’s what we’ll get.
Clausen: Give me most of the core and some significant alterations after that.
We won’t see the same squad that went to the World Cup due to fitness issues among some senior players, as Sanjay mentioned. But I don’t want to see the rest of the World Cup squad, bar those players. There are plenty of areas to improve on the periphery, so let’s see some changes there.
