Mauricio Pochettino learned his first ever World Cup group opponents as a coach on Friday when the World Cup draw takes center stage in Washington, D.C. and he will be very happy with it.

Set to play main hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States are entering a pivotal moment in their men's national team history.

The 2026 World Cup is getting closer and after the draw which took place on Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington , D.C., on Saturday the official schedule will be released by FIFA.

The United States Men’s National Team officially has a pre-World Cup schedule. Today, U.S. Soccer announced the four friendlies the team will have prior to the start of the 2026 World Cup.

The USMNT punched their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, automatically qualifying for the tournament and seeding in Pot 1, ensuring no group-stage matchups against the world’s top-ranked nations.

USMNT veteran Landon Donovan, who is the only U.S. player to reach 50 goals and 50 assists in World Cup play, joined the show to break down the changes undergone by the USMNT, including an early roster shakeup from new manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Still, the USMNT is facing a much smoother road to the knockout rounds than, say, England or France. England has 2018 runner-up Croatia, USMNT World Cup nemesis Ghana and Panama in its Group L while France has 2022 African champion Senegal, Erling Haaland and Norway and the winner of an intercontinental playoff.

The 23rd FIFA Men's World Cup will have 48 teams, but only 42 knew their fate on Friday during the Final Draw event in Washington, D.C. The remaining six spots will be determined in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament this spring.