US hosts Ecuador in Austin friendly ahead of 2026 World Cup

The United States men's national team hosts Ecuador at Q2 Stadium in Austin on Friday night in an international friendly that doubles as a key dress rehearsal ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central time. The match offers a chance for Mauricio Pochettino to evaluate players and build momentum after recent mixed results as the U.S. prepares to cohost next summer's tournament.

Pochettino’s side arrives on the back of a 2-0 win over Japan that halted a run of poor friendly results and gave the coach a template to develop. The manager said patience is required as he implements changes. "I think we need time. We need to spend a lot of time, because of our knowledge and our capacity through our experience to take decisions to change," Pochettino said in a pregame news conference. He added that players must push out of their comfort zones and compete for places.

Roster selection for the camp has drawn attention. Christian Pulisic returned to the squad after an encouraging start to the club season, though Pochettino said Pulisic did not train on the day of the press conference and his availability would be assessed. Leftback Antonee Robinson and forward...