The U.S. men’s national team closed its final international window before the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 loss to Portugal on Tuesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, extending a rough recent run against European opponents and raising fresh questions with the roster announcement approaching.
Portugal took the lead in the 37th minute after the U.S. turned the ball over in midfield. Bruno Fernandes carried the attack forward and slipped a backheel into the path of Francisco Trincão, who finished to make it 1-0.
The U.S. had chances to score before that breakthrough, including an early look for Christian Pulisic that was blocked inside the box, and a near miss from Weston McKennie on a set piece that drifted just wide. But the Americans couldn’t convert their best moments, and the match tilted further away after halftime.
Portugal doubled the lead in the 59th minute on another Fernandes-involved sequence, with João Félix controlling the ball at the edge of the area and striking from distance to put the visitors in control.
Pochettino used the match to experiment, deploying Pulisic centrally for long stretches, and the U.S. captain cut a visibly frustrated figure as the night progressed. ESPN reported Pulisic missed multiple chances, picked up a booking near the end of the first half, and was substituted at halftime as the U.S. looked for a different spark.
After the game, Pochettino said the U.S. was “not far away” from competing with teams of Portugal’s quality, pointing to “small details” as the difference and calling the camp overall “very positive” despite the two losses. Pulisic echoed that idea, saying the U.S. created enough chances in the first halves against both Belgium and Portugal that finishing and concentration swings could change the outcome.
Still, the result added to a concerning trend: the Guardian noted it was the U.S.’ eighth straight loss to European opposition, with the team outscored heavily across that stretch, and reported a sellout crowd of 72,297 in Atlanta. The defeat followed Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Belgium, leaving the U.S. winless in the March window and with defensive midfield issues in focus, especially with Tyler Adams unavailable.
The U.S. Soccer match recap described an aggressive early start similar to the Belgium match, but Portugal’s ability to punish mistakes — and manage the game after taking the lead — ultimately separated the sides.
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