MARIETTA, Georgia — Christian Pulisic has been in this position before. The 2022 World Cup goalscorer has been a U.S. men’s national team starter for nearly a decade now.
He’s won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea. He’s one of the faces for both the USA team and AC Milan, one of the most storied clubs in soccer history.
Now, with the USA set to play its final two tuneups — the first against powerful Belgium on Saturday — before coach Mauricio Pochettino names his final 26-player roster for this summer’s World Cup on home soil.
The anticipation for the tournament – the largest in its history with 48 teams spread across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada – has ratcheted up significantly. Even for a mainstay like Pulisic.
“You can feel the intensity in the trainings,” the team’s headliner said before practicing on Friday at the facility of MLS side Atlanta United. “All the guys are wanting to really stake their claim, and they want to be on that World Cup roster. There’s no doubt about it. Everyone wants to prove themselves.”
Christian Pulisic is keeping focused on the big task at hand this summer. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
It’s been more than four months Pochettino’s squad last convened, when they routed Uruguay in November to finish 2025 on a three-game win streak and unbeaten in five — all against nations that will participate in this World Cup.
Star-studded Belgium and Portugal, which the Americans will face on Tuesday in the second of two matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will provide an even sterner test. Both opponents are ranked in FIFA’s Top 10, and will be part of the field this summer. Convincing performances in Georgia’s capital could capture the imagination of fans and do wonders for the team’s confidence and momentum ahead of the main event.
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The goal over the next week, as veteran left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson said, is: “Making sure we put in two performances against very good opposition and kind of sending the message that we can compete at the top level and show teams who are coming to our home soil that we’re a team to be scared of.”
Still, their World Cup opener against Paraguay isn’t until June 12. While getting good results in March would be ideal, nobody will remember if the co-hosts fall flat when the whole country — and the rest of the world— is watching.
To that end, there will be some degree of experimentation in these two matches. Pochettino and his Belgian counterpart, Rudi Garcia, have agreed to allow up to 11 substitutions for each team on Saturday.
That bodes well for an American team who is fighting some injuries. World Cup alums Tyler Adams and Sergiño Dest were already missing this month and Pochettino said on Friday that center backs Chris Richards and Miles Robinson are likely to miss both games with aliments they sustained in training.
That will open the door for others.
“We are going to use all the players in the two games,” the former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach said.
“It’s a great opportunity [for] trying to do things, testing players, testing situations, but keeping the competition high and competing really well. We can be able to maybe [make] some changes during the game. But keeping our level of competition — that is the challenge.”
Weston McKennie is feeling great ahead of some star-studded matches against Belgium and Portugal. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
It’s one his players are embracing.
“Hosting the World Cup on home soil comes with its pressures,” standout midfielder Weston McKennie said when addressing reporters before practice. “But we’re all competitors on the team. We all chose this lifestyle. We all chose to be professional soccer players, and being competitive — having pressure — is something that you live with day in and day out. So I don’t think we really feel [much] pressure. I think we kind of invite that. We kind of like it, and we’re just really excited.”
“I wouldn’t want to be in any other position,” Pulisic added. “I’m so lucky. I feel privileged to be in this position. There’s pressure. I feel it, yes, it’s there, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle. We’re going to attack it head on.”
Starting on Saturday.
“You can definitely feel the energy in the team and feel that it’s getting a little bit more serious,” Pulisic continued. “The excitement for the tournament’s obviously starting to get real.”
2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch
The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.
