Pulisic eyes fresh test as USMNT maps out September-October FIFA window

Christian Pulisic and the USMNT now know exactly who stands between them and their first response to a disappointing home World Cup as they head into the September-October FIFA window. The schedule confirms Peru on September 26 at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando, Chile on September 29 at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Mexico on October 3 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and Canada on October 6 at Allianz Field in St. Paul.

These four friendlies will be the USMNT’s first matches since the 2026 World Cup run ended in the Round of 16, where the United States fell 1-4 to Belgium. The loss marked a stark end to a tournament that had raised expectations for the United States men’s national team.

During that World Cup, Pulisic was electric in the opener against Paraguay, providing an assist before a calf knock forced him off at halftime. He returned for the following games, but his form dipped noticeably in the matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium, a decline later explained by a bone bruise and a microfracture he was playing through.

Mauricio Pochettino has now locked in a new contract that runs through the 2030 World Cup. “Working together with U.S. Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the Men’s National Team program even stronger,” Pochettino said.

US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone backed the extension, pointing to Pochettino’s experience as a boost not just for the senior team but for the broader player development pipeline. She cited the long tenures of coaches like Lionel Scaloni and Didier Deschamps as models for sustained success across multiple World Cup cycles.

The schedule IS for the September-October FIFA WINDOW, giving the United States men’s national team a clear path to rebuild and test themselves against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. The matches, spread across Orlando, St. Louis, Glendale and St. Paul, MN, will be the first step in a newly extended era for the USMNT.