Di United States Men's National Team (USMNT) don begin dia final preparation for di 2026 FIFA World Cup with one international friendly match against Belgium for Atlanta. Di game wey hold for Mercedes-Benz Stadium na part of di team warm-up before di tournament wey go start June 12. USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino don select strong squad for di match, even though some key players like Tyler Adams dey miss because of injury.
For di match wey kick off 3:30 p.m. ET, USMNT line up with Matt Turner for goal post, wit Tim Weah, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, and Antonee Robinson for defense. Di midfield include Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso, while Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Christian Pulisic dey support striker Folarin Balogun. Belgium side wey dey transition from dia “Golden Generation” feature Kevin De Bruyne as captain wit Jeremy Doku as one of dia standout young players.
Di match na important test for USMNT as co-host of World Cup 2026. Di team don qualify automatically as host alongside Mexico and Canada. For dia last five matches before dis friendly, USMNT record show four wins and one draw, including victories against Japan, Australia, and Paraguay. Belgium qualification journey for World Cup 2026 involve unbeaten run for dia group wit five wins and three draws against Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein.
For injury news, USMNT suffer blow as Tyler Adams miss di match because of quad injury. Two odas defenders, Chris Richards and Miles Robinson, don withdraw from squad earlier dis week. Belgium side also miss key players like Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku. Courtois dey out for six weeks wit thigh injury while Lukaku withdraw to focus on fitness training.
Di friendly match dey serve as preparation for both teams World Cup 2026 campaign. USMNT dey for Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and di winner of playoff between Turkey and Kosovo. Belgium dey for Group G wit Egypt, New Zealand, and Iran. USMNT schedule for World Cup include matches against Paraguay for Los Angeles on June 12, Australia for Seattle on June 19, and Turkey or Kosovo for Los Angeles on June 25.
USMNT also go face Portugal for anoda friendly for Atlanta on Tuesday, March 31. Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo no dey available for dat match as e no make di trip to United States. Di USMNT complete dia World Cup preparation wit matches against Senegal for Charlotte on May 31 and Germany for Chicago on June 6.
For historical context, USMNT and Belgium don meet four times before. Belgium win di last three encounters, including di 2014 World Cup round of 16 match wey Belgium win 2-1. USMNT last victory against Belgium happen for 1930 World Cup wit 3-0 win. Coach Pochettino express optimism about USMNT chances for World Cup 2026, saying “Why not us?” as e try to manage pressure on di players.
Di match also feature debut of USMNT new ‘Stripes’ home jersey, while dia away jersey na ‘Stars’. For broadcasting, fans for USA fit watch di match on various platforms including Fox Deportes, Fubo, Fox One, and Fox Sports app. Di game dey hold as part of several international friendlies across United States dis week, including France vs Colombia and Brazil vs Croatia matches.
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