By Graham Ruthven
In anticipation of discovering the United States’ opponents in the December draw in Washington DC, Mauricio Pochettino watched “Miracle”. The 2004 Disney film tells the story of the 1980 U.S. men’s hockey team and their sensational journey to Olympic gold. It’s an underdog story that clearly resonates with Pochettino.
“We identified with a lot of things in the film,” said Pochettino who admitted it made him cry. “It’s truly amazing how much a group of 20 players really believed in an idea.” This idea is summed up in a slogan adopted by the United States before this summer’s World Cup on home soil: why not us?
The United States men’s national team has come a long way in a relatively short time under Pochettino’s leadership. There was a point last year when the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup were struggling to get any traction. Back-to-back losses to Canada and Panama a year ago raised all kinds of questions about the USMNT and its head coach.
Last September, Pochettino’s position was scrutinized. Former US international turned pundit Alexi Lalas has called for the Argentinian to be fired. Although this is an extreme view, it speaks volumes about how public opinion has turned against Pochettino in some quarters.
However, during the international windows of September, October and November, the United States finally generated some momentum. Pochettino found a tactical framework better suited to his players and encouraging results against Japan, Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay followed. The year 2025 ended on an extremely positive note.
Belgium and Portugal, however, will constitute a much more severe test. The United States will host the first at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday before hosting the second at the same venue next week. These two matches will so far be the best criterion to measure the state of preparation of the co-organizer of the World Cup.
Drawn in a group with Australia, Paraguay and Kosovo or Turkey, the United States has a good chance of qualifying for the round of 16. This is where the national team hit the glass ceiling in previous World Cups. Indeed, it has been 24 years since the USMNT last won a knockout match at a World Cup, going out to the Netherlands in Qatar.
This is why these upcoming friendlies are so valuable. Pochettino must find a way to allow his team to thrive against high-caliber opponents in order to give the USMNT a chance to make a deep run at a home World Cup. They could face a quality Belgian or Portuguese team this summer. They hope to face more than one.
Belgium may not be the same force that reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. The country’s “golden generation” has faded, but it still has players like Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne, both included in Rudi Garcia’s squad to face the United States.
With De Bruyne, Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemens, Belgium has a midfield capable of controlling the majority of Saturday’s match in Atlanta. The Red Devils no longer have stalwarts like Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen in defense, giving the United States hope that they could pose a threat in offensive transition. Having enough of the ball to create such opportunities could be a problem, however.
Portugal could be an even tougher test. Roberto Martínez’s team will be among the favorites to win the World Cup this summer. Portugal’s team is currently the strongest in international football, with the possible exception of England and France. They have countless options all over the field.
Cristiano Ronaldo is out due to injury meaning he will miss the match against the USMNT in Atlanta, but Portugal could be even stronger without the 41-year-old who has lost more than a meter of space and some of his sharpness in front of goal. Martinez counts PSG striker Gonçalo Ramos in place of Ronaldo.
The United States has its own threats. Christian Pulisic is struggling to stay fit and in shape for AC Milan at club level, but he is a consistent player for his national team. Folarin Balogun has established himself as the USMNT’s first-choice center forward under Pochettino and is on a solid goalscoring streak for Monaco.
Juventus have, in Pochettino’s words, been “Weston McKennie and 10 players” in 2026. McKennie is in the best form of his career and will give the United States a different dimension with his late entries into the box. Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Brenden Aaronson and Tim Weah are also capable of impacting games.
Pochettino is without injured duo Tyler Adams and Sergino Dest for this international window, but the Argentine has put in a lot of effort to strengthen the USMNT squad. He has more options than Gregg Berhalter in the last World Cup. The United States’ performances against Belgium and Portugal will show if they are also ready to go further than in Qatar.
(Images from IMAGO)
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