USMNT January Camp Postponed, December Events Planned for 2026
According to Oguchi Onyewu, the vice president of U.S. Soccer, the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) will not host its traditional January camp this winter. Instead, beginning in December 2026, this annual gathering will take place in December.
The January camp has been a crucial aspect of the USMNT’s program for years, although it often excluded players from overseas. It was particularly significant for Major League Soccer (MLS) athletes seeking to join the national team. The inaugural camp occurred in 1997, shortly after MLS was established in 1996.
Originally, MLS Cup was scheduled for October, with the subsequent season kicking off in April, resulting in a six-month gap between competitive games for MLS players. Over the years, however, the value of the January camp has diminished due to adjustments in the MLS calendar. Nowadays, MLS Cup takes place in December, and the following regular season begins in February, leading to overlapping schedules between the camp and the MLS preseason.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon and a pool of identified players, holding a camp this winter was deemed unnecessary.
Onyewu stated, “A core pillar of ‘The U.S. Way’ emphasizes two key priorities: expanding opportunities for both youth and senior national team players and maintaining deep, cooperative relationships with our domestic leagues and clubs.”
“The January camp has historically served as a vital platform for player evaluation and integration, with numerous current and former U.S. men’s national team players gaining their first international exposure during this time. Its influence on our program’s development and player pathways is both significant and lasting.”
Many players have leveraged the January camp to launch international careers. Notable examples include current defender Tim Ream, who participated in the 2011 camp, and Mark McKenzie, who attended in both 2019 and 2020. In January of last year, Max Arfsten, Diego Luna, Patrick Agyemang, and Matt Freese utilized the camp to enhance their roles under U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino. The next opportunity for USMNT hopefuls will be in slightly over 15 months.
Oguchi added, “This change is intended to preserve the developmental and evaluative advantages of the camp while reducing scheduling conflicts for clubs and players. The December timeframe offers a better opportunity that minimizes overlaps with pre-season preparations, aligns with player recovery cycles, and continues to give our national team coaches a valuable chance to evaluate and integrate domestic talent.”
n
