The U.S. men's national team is playing four games during the newly expanded fall international window — and head coach Mauricio Pochettino isn't happy about it.
At a press conference on Friday, Sept. 25, Pochettino said the increase in travel and matches posed a "big risk" to his players, who are either beginning their seasons in Europe or near the end of their MLS campaigns.
The USMNT kicked off the four-match window on Saturday with a game against Peru in Orlando. That will be followed by games against Chile in St. Louis, Mexico in Arizona and Canada in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Pochettino will have the chance to give minutes to his entire 28-player squad, which includes 13 uncapped players. USMNT star Christian Pulisic was omitted from Mauricio Pochettino's 28-man roster for the team’s four matches in September and October, including the game against Peru on Saturday.
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Even with the opportunity to give most of his squad playing time, Pochettino still isn't happy with the overall setup of the window.
"I don't agree with playing four consecutive matches — I really don't. I see it as too much," he said in Spanish.
"I think it poses a big risk because, starting tomorrow, there’s hardly any time for rest, and there’s a lot of travel involved. We didn't have a say in the scheduling — we accepted it — but we certainly understand the risks. Many players are coming off preseasons or the start of the season in Europe, while others are dealing with the conclusion of the MLS season here in the States. So, particularly for the U.S., this isn't the ideal way to tackle four matches in such a short span."
Though Pochettino wasn't happy with the window's length, he and his staff are planning on ways to make the most of the four games.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino looks dejected after the match following their elimination from the World Cup on July 6, 2026.
"Still, we accept the challenge," he said. "We’ll make adjustments and manage the situations as they arise — we have a squad of 28, but inevitably, issues pop up with one player or another. We’ll see how those players with minor issues progress and whether they can participate, because otherwise, it limits our rotation and forces us to overload players who are already carrying a heavy workload."
Pochettino added: "The goal is to come out of this with a stronger, deeper squad and expanded possibilities for the future, identifying players who can play a key role here."
This is the first year that the September and October windows have been merged into one. Previously, players attended September camp, returned to their clubs for three weeks, then were summoned back for international duty.
FIFA said that the change came after polling stakeholders and finding that top clubs and players preferred fewer interruptions in the fall.
"FIFA’s objective in this process is to make a football calendar that is 'fit-for-purpose' for modern needs, contributing for the improvement of the quality of players, clubs and national teams and giving both incentive and opportunity for the detection and development of talent outside a small number of countries," the organization stated when it released the calendar.
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