Ahead of co-hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the U.S. men’s national team will reportedly square off against the country that sealed their Copa América fate in 2024: Uruguay.
Their final friendly of the calendar year will take place Nov. 18, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fox Sports reported Wednesday. The U.S. Soccer Federation reportedly was in talks with Brazil, but couldn’t come to an agreement on a time and place.
It’ll be the first time since July 2024 that these two countries face off against each other. The USMNT met Uruguay to conclude Copa América Group C play with La Celeste emerging victorious. The host nation was eliminated from the competition after the game given the USMNT lost to Panama the game prior.
Gregg Berhalter was subsequently relieved of his duties and in came former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino. The high-profile coach has delivered mixed results so far. While there have been some positive wins in friendlies, a Concacaf Gold Cup final loss to Mexico and a fourth-place exit in the Concacaf Nations League earlier this year stain his first year in charge.
The team is looking for momentum any way possible. There are no more competitive matches before the World Cup, so friendlies are the best opportunities Pochettino and his team will get.
The USMNT play two international friendlies during the September break against South Korea and Japan. Star forward Christian Pulisic was called-up for the games after missing the Concacaf Gold Cup over the summer.
Also included in the September squad are MLS standouts Max Arfsten, Matt Freese, Tristan Blackmon, Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna. Abroad, the likes of Tyler Adams, Damion Downs, Tim Weah, Josh Sargent and Chris Richards return. Gio Reyna and Weston McKennie were not named to the squad.
Before Uruguay, they’ll also face Ecuador and Australia in October.
Uruguay and the USMNT previously played each other in a friendly back in 2022 ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Schedule High-Profile Copa America Rematch for ‘Final’ 2025 Friendly.
