USMNT Set to Play Groundbreaking Game Ahead of 2026 World Cup—Report

The Stars and Stripes are in for a major test just three months before they kick off their World Cup campaign.

Christian Pulisic and the USMNT will get the chance to play against the defending UEFA Nations League champions. / John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

The U.S. men’s national team is reportedly set to play an international friendly against Portugal in March, ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s 12-year absence from playing on United States soil.

Question marks surrounded the Stars and Stripes’ schedule in the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to unfold throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico next summer. Following the November international window, Mauricio Pochettino’s men did not have their next opponent lined up ... until now.

The Athletic report the USMNT and Portugal have “signed off” to play an exhibition match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during the March international break.

The match, which had been in the works behind the scenes since September, can take place during the first international window of the new year now that Portugal directly qualified for the 2026 World Cup, avoiding a playoff that would have seen them unavailable to make the trip to North America.

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The highly anticipated match will bring five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Portugal captain Ronaldo to the United States for the first time since Aug. 2, 2014. The 40-year-old last played on U.S. soil when he featured in Real Madrid’s preseason friendly against Manchester United.

Despite not being a competitive fixture, the game generated a record-breaking crowd of 109,318 fans at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. With stars like Man Utd skipper Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain trio Vitinha, João Neves and Nuno Mendes now alongside Ronaldo, the upcoming game is slated to be just as big of a spectacle.

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USMNT Must Rise to the Occasion Against Ronaldo and Portugal

Christian Pulisic (left) will lead the USMNT against Portugal. / John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

There perhaps is no better test for the USMNT ahead of the 2026 World Cup than facing Portugal. Roberto Martínez’s men are the defending UEFA Nations League champions and have lost just two matches in their last 18, spanning back to June 2024.

Although the Stars and Stripes have faced tough Concacaf opponents this year, as well top CONMEBOL sides, taking on Portugal will be a great indicator of the competition waiting for the USMNT should they make a run in next summer’s tournament.

Securing an impressive finish on home soil will likely only happen if Pochettino can get his squad to the level needed to hang around with Europe’s best. What better way than to have a dress rehearsal against a team led by one of the best players in the sport’s history?

The pressure will be on Pochettino, as well as captain Christian Pulisic, to make a statement against Portugal to give the USMNT a much-needed boost of confidence just three months out from World Cup.

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