The U.S. men’s national team and the Mexico national team will continue their 2026 World Cup preparations in March with high-caliber matchups against two of the best teams in the world: Portugal and Belgium.
A five-game unbeaten streak and three wins on the bounce to end the year has Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT rounding into form at the perfect time. A huge 5–1 win over Uruguay last time out confirmed the positive momentum the Stars and Stripes will take to the new year.
Contrastingly, Mexico suffered to end 2025 with a six-game winless streak. Javier Aguirre’s men must right the ship in the months leading up to the World Cup or they risk an absolute disaster come next summer.
Both host nations know their path through the World Cup group stage already and they’ll imminently find out who their rivals will be in the 2026 World Cup group stage draw on Friday.
Regardless of the draw results, Portugal and Belgium, two top-10 ranked teams with stars all over the lineup, will be valuable tests to get a good sense of where the USMNT and El Tri stand less than two months from the World Cup.
Here’s all you need to know about the USMNT and Mexico’s March 2026 international friendlies.
USMNT March 2026 Full Schedule
| Opponent | Date | Venue | Kick-Off Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | March 28, 2026 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT |
| Portugal | March 31, 2026 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT |
The USMNT will face Belgium in its first match of the World Cup year on March 28. Then, Portugal will come to town on March 31 in a game that could potentially see Cristiano Ronaldo play his first match on U.S. soil since 2014. Both games will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Pochettino is poised to select a similar group of players to the 26-strong roster he’ll select for the World Cup. The Argentine manager couldn’t hide his excitement when he offered his thoughts on the pair of March friendly matches.
“For us, this is a massive opportunity to challenge ourselves against some of the top teams in the world,” Pochettino said. “These are incredible matches for the players and for the fans.”
The USMNT last played Belgium in the round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup, when even an inspired performance from legendary goalkeeper Tim Howard couldn’t save the U.S. from a heartbreaking extra time elimination.
Similarly, the USMNT also played Portugal in Brazil 2014. A hard-earned 2–2 draw helped the Stars and Stripes advance in the group stage, while Portugal failed to advance to the knockout rounds.
A lot has changed in the past decade-plus. However, there’s no denying the Pochettino’s side will aim to continue its positive run to boost confidence even more before the start of the summer spectacle.
Mexico March 2026 Full Schedule
| Opponent | Date | Venue | Kick-Off Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | March 28, 2026 | Estadio Azteca | 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT |
| Belgium | March 31, 2026 | Soldier Field | 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT |
In a landmark date for soccer in Mexico, the iconic Estadio Azteca will re-open its doors for El Tri to host Portugal on March 28. El Tri will return to its spiritual home for the first time in over three years following a massive renovation project to one of soccer’s cathedrals.
Portugal is a worthy opponent for such a landmark match and it could be the first time Ronaldo plays a game on Mexican soil. However, he did feature against El Tri in the 2017 Confederations Cup, when Portugal drew against Mexico in the group stage before eventually beating El Tri in the third-place match.
El Tri will then travel to the U.S. to face Belgium at Chicago’s Soldier Field on March 31. Mexico faced Belgium in a friendly match prior to the 2018 World Cup, drawing 3–3 in the last ever meeting between the two nations.
Facing high-caliber opponents is exactly what Aguirre asked for in the lead-up to the World Cup, and Mexico national team director Duilio Davino shared his thoughts on the upcoming international friendlies.
“For us it’s an honor to face Portugal,” Davino said. “A very strong team with a lot of good players. At the re-inauguration of our stadium, it’ll be an honor.
“These are the type of games Javier [Aguirre] asked for to truly measure out national team. Belgium is a great team. We know the best soccer is played in Europe and where the best players are. These games will be a great parameter [for Mexico] and they’ll be great rivals.
“We hope they’ll be great games and to continue building our team for the World Cup.”
READ THE LATEST SOCCER NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MATCH REACTION
This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT, Mexico Confirm Marquee Opponents for Final 2026 World Cup Preparations.
