With summer approaching and dreams of World Cup glory beginning to take shape, international soccer is in the midst of its final stages of qualification. The 2026 World Cup is set to take place right here in North America, with the majority of matches kicking off on U.S. soil.

As the hosts, the U.S. Men’s National Team automatically qualifies for the tournament, along with co-hosts Canada and Mexico; however, qualification does not guarantee preparation, and the U.S. still has significant work to do if it wants to make some noise on the Global stage.

As part of the international friendly series sponsored by FIFA, the U.S. had the opportunity to take on two of Europe’s best last week to help prepare for the World Cup. First, the red, white and blue showcased their talents against an already qualified Belgian squad.

The last time these two countries faced off was 12 years ago at the 2014 World Cup in Rio, Brazil, when Belgium snatched victory in extra time. This time around, of course, is not as significant as the World Cup; however, the USA is presented with a major opportunity to put the world on notice against the Big Five.

The match began just the way the U.S. wanted, with an opening goal by star Midfielder, Weston McKennie. Unfortunately, that would be the only significant moment that drew cheers from the Atlanta crowd, as Belgium answered with five straight goals. The U.S. would draw one back late in the second half by way of Patrick Agyemang’s boot, but the Americans would ultimately fall 5-2. The U.S. Manager, Mauricio Pochettino, described the loss as a “reality check,” and he couldn’t be more right.

The U.S. is about to take on the World’s best, and any good team will tell you that in order to reach the top, you must go through adversity first. 

Luckily, the U.S. still had an opportunity to change course in its match against Portugal. The Portuguese came in as a top-10 team in the world and are considered a strong bet to lift the trophy come July.

As expected, Portugal dominated much of the match, playing it forward deep in the offensive half and controlling the pace of movement. Ultimately, the Portuguese would strike first in the 37th minute thanks to a beautiful goal by Francisco Trincão. Portugal would follow that up with another goal in the 59th minute by Joao Felix.

The U.S, despite playing most of its starters, was unable to score against a stout Portuguese defense. After the final whistle, it became clear the USA has a lot of work to do if it wants to compete with the best at the World Cup 2026.

As Pochettino said, this is a reality check for the red, white and blue; however, they still have time, so we’ll see what fate the football gods have in store for the U.S. come summer.