ATLANTA, GEORGIA — The U.S. men's national team will host Portugal in Atlanta on Tuesday in a friendly match ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match represents another preparation opportunity for the Americans, who are automatically qualified for the 2026 tournament as co-hosts.

The friendly against Portugal forms part of a series of upcoming matches for the U.S. squad under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The team will face Senegal in Charlotte on May 31, 2026, and Germany in Chicago on June 6, 2026.

Since taking charge, Pochettino has rotated his goalkeeper options extensively. Matt Freese has logged 1,170 minutes, more than any other goalkeeper under the current manager, while Matt Turner has played 810 minutes despite allowing nine goals with a save percentage under 50% in his last two national team appearances. Turner, who is on loan to the New England Revolution from Lyon, has experienced a challenging period since his transfer to Arsenal for the 2022-23 season, where he made few appearances before subsequent loans to Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. Zack Steffen and Patrick Schulte have each played 90 minutes under Pochettino.

Pochettino has relied heavily on veteran center-backs, with Tim Ream leading the position group with 1,558 minutes played under the current manager. Ream played every minute for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup, where the team lost 3-1 to the Netherlands in the round of 16. Chris Richards has logged 1,094 minutes and Mark McKenzie 899 minutes, though both Richards and Miles Robinson were unavailable for the recent match against Belgium due to minor injuries.

In contrast, the full-back positions feature younger players, with a minutes-adjusted average age of 23.7 years. Max Arfsten, 24, has played 1,112 minutes under Pochettino, while Alex Freeman, 21, has logged 1,002 minutes. Joe Scally, 23, has contributed 581 minutes.

Pochettino has experimented with different formations, deploying a 4-2-3-1 against Belgium after going unbeaten in six matches using either a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation. The team's recent history includes winning two CONCACAF Nations League titles since the 2022 World Cup but failing to advance past the group stage of the Copa América, which led to Gregg Berhalter's firing after the U.S. Soccer Federation had previously parted ways with him and later rehired him.