The U.S. males’s nationwide crew is reportedly working to line up a pleasant towards Portugal in what shall be one in all their ultimate friendlies earlier than the 2026 World Cup on house soil, a match that might mark Cristiano Ronaldo’s first match within the U.S. since 2014.
The pleasant can be slated for the worldwide break in late March and can probably happen at Mercedes-Benz Enviornment, house of MLS’ Atlanta United and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, according to Fox Sports. The 71,000-seater is on the record of venues for the 2026 World Cup and is slated to host one of many competitors’s semifinal matches, whereas the match may coincide with the opening of U.S. Soccer’s $200 million coaching facility within the Atlanta suburb of Fayetteville.
U.S. Soccer may additionally line up a pleasant towards Belgium throughout that worldwide window, according to The Athletic, whereas a report from French outlet L’Equipe says 2018 World Cup winners France are additionally considering a match towards the USMNT throughout that window. These matches might reportedly even be performed in NFL venues on the east coast, providing an opportunity for groups which are anticipated to qualify for the World Cup to get a style of the host nation’s services earlier than the event begins.
The USMNT are hoping to spend the final months earlier than the World Cup testing themselves towards high-caliber opponents in friendlies, doubtlessly lining up a schedule that can nearly solely characteristic groups who rank inside FIFA’s prime 30. The record consists of June friendlies towards Turkiye, towards whom they misplaced 2-1, and Switzerland, towards whom they notched a 5-0 defeat, and Saturday’s match towards South Korea, which resulted in a 2-0 win for the guests. Tuesday’s opponent Japan, in addition to upcoming foes Ecuador, Australia and Uruguay are additionally ranked within the prime 30, and the identical goes for the USMNT’s potential European foes in March.
“I feel it was very difficult for us,” USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino mentioned after the defeat to South Korea, underscoring the purpose of dealing with top-tier opposition within the course of. “The very best degree that we face, it is extra danger as a result of I feel perhaps we’re going to wrestle to get the outcome in the intervening time however I feel we’re going to study extra.”
Portugal, at the moment ranked sixth on the planet, are a World Cup common and reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 event and are just a few months faraway from profitable the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League. The crew is stuffed with gamers who play for a few of Europe’s most notable golf equipment like Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha, however Ronaldo stays the crew’s point of interest at 40 years outdated.
Ronaldo has by no means performed for a U.S.-based membership groups however most of the world’s most notable gamers swing by the nation occasionally, mainly on preseason excursions with their European membership groups. The Portugal worldwide, although, has not performed within the nation since making a substitute look for Actual Madrid in a pleasant towards Manchester United at Michigan Stadium in August 2014. None of Ronaldo’s membership groups since – an inventory that features Madrid, Juventus, United and Al-Nassr – made preseason journeys to the U.S. whereas he was on their books, whereas Portugal has not performed within the nation since a pleasant earlier that summer time towards Eire at MetLife Stadium.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s authorized troubles within the U.S.
Ronaldo has additionally not been photographed within the U.S. since 2017, when German newspaper Der Spiegel revealed allegations that he raped mannequin Kathryn Mayorga in Las Vegas in 2009. The participant and his crew have repeatedly denied the allegations, although Ronaldo’s and Mayorga’s legal representatives have since engaged in a years-long legal battle.
Mayorga mentioned she went to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division the next day to file a criticism however didn’t identify her assailant or determine the placement of the incident, frightened of public backlash. Within the weeks that adopted, Mayorga started civil proceedings towards Ronaldo and legal professionals who represented her have been in touch with the participant’s authorized crew. Ronaldo allegedly crammed out a collection of questionnaires, and in keeping with paperwork seen by Der Spiegel, he mentioned intercourse was consensual, however he was quoted as saying that “she mentioned no and cease a number of instances” and that he apologized afterwards, in keeping with The Athletic.
In January 2010, Mayorga, her household and authorized representatives met with Ronaldo’s authorized crew in Las Vegas – the participant was not current – and the events agreed to an out-of-court settlement. Ronaldo would pay Mayorga $375,000 in alternate for Mayorga by no means making the allegations public data. “This settlement is in no way a confession of guilt,” Ronaldo’s representatives mentioned partly in a 2018 assertion.
Upon the allegations changing into public in 2017, Mayorga employed a brand new lawyer who tried to have the “settlement and non-disclosure settlement declared void.” Police in Las Vegas reopened the case in September 2018 and by January 2019, they despatched a warrant for a DNA pattern from Ronaldo and in keeping with court docket paperwork, the pattern matched proof from the case, per ESPN.
By then, investigators had struggled to proceed with the case for quite a few causes. They have been unable to independently confirm the paperwork that have been printed on Soccer Leaks after which later reported on by Der Spiegel, and British police did not cooperate in relation to a 2005 rape allegation towards Ronaldo, although INTERPOL confirmed that he was arrested 18 days after the accusation. Mayorga’s attorneys additionally didn’t reply to requests from investigators throughout this time. The Clark County District Lawyer’s workplace then opted to not file expenses, saying “the allegations of sexual assault towards Cristiano Ronaldo can’t be confirmed past an affordable doubt.”
Mayorga additionally filed a case in state court docket in September 2018 that was then moved to federal court docket the next 12 months, the case finally dismissed by a choose in June 2022. The lawyer representing Mayorga was later ordered to pay Ronaldo $334,637.50 in authorized charges for utilizing stolen paperwork in a lawsuit, with Mayorga and her authorized representatives withdrawing their enchantment towards the fee in Might 2024.
