USA Face Battle-Tested Ecuador With 2026 World Cup Roster Spots on the Line

AUSTIN, Texas — Whatever happens in Friday night’s difficult World Cup preparation game against Ecuador, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino is certain of one thing.

“I promise you, no one is sure that he is going to be on the roster of the World Cup 2026,” Pochettino said Thursday during his pre-match press conference. “I don’t believe before that was the [case]. Today, I promise that all the guys feel they need to fight to be there. And that is priceless.”

Friday’s contest at Q2 Stadium comes almost exactly a year to the day of the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur manager made his debut on the U.S. sideline. That 2-0 friendly victory over Panama last October somehow seems a lot longer ago than that. Much has changed around the program over the last 12 months, to Pochettino’s point.

In short, he has forced the American players out of their comfort zone. It has also been a steep learning curve for Pochettino, who repeated on Friday that the USMNT shocking losses to that same Canaleros squad and fellow World Cup co-hosts Canada served as a “wake-up call” for him and his staff.

Now, after leaving Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie off of his September roster and omitting Yunus Musah — another 2022 World Cup starter — from the current one, he feels the proper tone has been set. He has his players’ attention.

Whether he has them all at his disposal against Ecuador is another matter.

(Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

Pochettino revealed on the eve of the exhibition that star man Christian Pulisic didn’t train on Thursday and might not be available. Same for left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson and winger Alex Zendejas, who scored the game-winning goal in the Americans’ most recent test, a 2-0 win over Japan last month. All are nursing minor injuries and could be rested for Tuesday’s meeting with Australia in Commerce City, Colo., the second of this month’s two tune-ups.

Ecuador won’t be at full strength, either. After qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with ease, finishing second in South America behind only defending world champs Argentina following that continent’s 18-match marathon, La Tricolor boss Sebastián Beccacece left several usual starters with their clubs this month, most notably Chelsea standout Moises Caicedo, possibly the best defensive midfielder on all of planet fútbol.

But other stars, like Pulisic’s AC Milan teammate Pervis Estupinan and PSG defender Willian Pacho are here. And Ecuador hasn’t lost a game since dropping a World Cup qualifier in Brazil more than a year ago now.

“They have speed,” said McKennie.

Just facing a South American foe will be different. The full-strength U.S. hasn’t done that since being eliminated from the 2024 Copa América by Uruguay, two months before Pochettino was hired to succeed Gregg Berhalter.

“They’re also a team that’s very aggressive,” defender Chris Richards said. “And they like to have a fight.”

An ideal opponent, then, for a U.S. squad with World Cup roster spots on the line, one that hasn’t swept a two-match international window since beating Jamaica home and away in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals last November.

“I think we’re settling in,” Pulisic said. “It’s about building on good performances, one after the other, after last camp, feeling good. And now it’s another great opportunity.”

That goes for both the USMNT and those hoping to be still be on it on the biggest stage of all.

“For sure the players that are going to play” against Ecuador, Pochettino said, “Are going to perform.”

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.