For many USMNT World Cup hopefuls, the audition for 2026 begins now

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Outside of major competitions like the World Cup, it is exceedingly rare for national team coaches to enjoy the luxury of multi-week training camps with their players. Even then, it doesn't always happen; the squads that competed at soccer's last signature event in 2022 had only a few practices to prepare for some of the biggest games of their lives, what with that tournament scheduled in the middle of the European season to avoid the searing summer temperatures in Qatar.

So, so what if U.S. boss Mauricio Pochettino doesn't have the overwhelming majority of his top players this month? Getting to work with the USMNT's MLS-based contingent for 16 days this January is an opportunity — both for Pochettino and his 2026 World Cup hopefuls, all of whom are hell-bent on sticking around when the regulars return from club commitments two months from now. 

It's not something any of them can afford to be casual about.

"We take it very seriously, even if it's not on the FIFA calendar," said Pochettino of this camp and his squad's first two matches of 2025, starting with Saturday's friendly here against Venezuela [kickoff at 3 p.m. ET]. "It's important for us, because we want to add players to compete for a position on the national team."

The next World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S. and North American neighbors Canada and Mexico, is now a mere 17 months away. FIFA hasn't announced roster sizes for 2026, but it's possible that each participating nation will have just 23 spots up for grabs. The competition for places on the final roster will be ruthless. Pochettino reiterated again on Friday that he will afford MLS players every chance to prove that they deserve to be included alongside the program's Europe-based