USMNT announces four friendlies to begin the road to the 2030 World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino’s second cycle as U.S. men’s national team head coach will kick off with a pair of friendlies against South American opposition before wrapping up with clashes against familiar regional rivals — both of whom, like the U.S., are coming off co-hosting duties at the World Cup.

U.S. Soccer revealed the match list for the USMNT’s combined September-October international window on Tuesday, and the road to the 2030 World Cup will begin with matches against non-World Cup participants Peru and Chile on Sept. 26 and 29, respectively. As the calendar flips to October, the U.S. turns to more familiar foes in Mexico (Oct. 3) and Canada (Oct. 6), both of whom were eliminated in the World Cup’s round of 16 — the same stage at which the Americans exited.

Rivalry rematches headline the window

Pochettino has lost to Mexico in both of his tries so far as U.S. manager — once in his second friendly in charge in October 2024, and again in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final. The October meeting will also mark new Mexico coach Rafa Marquez’s first time on the sidelines against the United States, after he so frequently played the role of villain in the rivalry during his playing career.

As for Canada, it beat the U.S. in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match in March 2025 in Pochettino’s only meeting against the neighbor to the north — a game that served as part of a wake-up-call window for the team as it rebuilt en route to the World Cup. The fixture will also pit Pochettino against Jesse Marsch, the outspoken Canada coach who has pulled few punches when discussing U.S. Soccer while guiding Canada’s men to new heights. Like Pochettino, Marsch is signed on for another cycle, though he extended his stay prior to the 2026 World Cup.

Venues and kickoff times

The opener against Peru will take place at Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium, with a Saturday afternoon kickoff at 4:30 p.m. ET. Three days later, the team moves to St. Louis City’s Energizer Park to face Chile in a Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET start. The showdown against Mexico is set for the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., at 10 p.m. ET on Oct. 3, before the window closes against Canada at Minnesota United’s Allianz Field in St. Paul on Oct. 6, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET.

All four games will be broadcast on TNT, truTV, HBO Max, Universo and Peacock.

After receiving raucous home support throughout the World Cup at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles, Lumen Field in Seattle and Levi’s Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area, the U.S. will surely hope for a carryover effect as the long road to the next World Cup begins.

“We are so excited to start this new phase of our journey with matches in front of our home fans. Their amazing energy during the summer has set the standard,” Pochettino said in a statement. “We expect our players to compete with the mentality that every game is critical, and they must show the passion and commitment our fans deserve. Our objective is always to play the best opponents possible, and these matches provide a variety of experiences for this group of players as we begin this new chapter of the U.S men’s national team.”

Fresh faces could be on the way

The set of opponents from North and South America is largely a product of the international calendar, with top European nations tied up with UEFA Nations League commitments. Focus now turns to which players Pochettino will call in for the games. He stated upon his re-introduction on Monday that the door is open to all, and that he is starting anew as the build to the next World Cup begins.

That could mean the integration of young, uncapped players — especially as the U.S. simultaneously builds toward the home 2028 Olympics, an under-23 tournament — while it could also mean the return of some players who did not make the final 26-man World Cup squad but could have new life over the next four years.