4 interesting things said during the U.S. men's morning press conference
The U.S. men’s soccer team will host Belgium in a friendly match at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The game will be televised by TNT, HBO Max, Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock.
The U.S. will host Portugal at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The match will be broadcast on TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock.
U.S. players Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie were made available by the United States Soccer Federation to speak to journalists on Friday before a training session at Atlanta United’s facility in Marietta.
Here are what I thought were the four most interesting things said (quotes have been edited for clarity):
Robinson on his injury and concern he would miss the World Cup
Robinson underwent knee surgery in May 2025 after suffering a tendon injury late in 2024. He has appeared in 15 matches for Fulham in the Premier League. He has appeared in the team’s past three matches, going 90 in two.
“Fully, fully fit at the moment, fully available for all games, all training. I've been able to get myself in pretty good shape back at the club (Fulham).
“There was a lot of concern (about playing for the U.S. national team), to be honest. I had surgery on my knee, the rehab didn't go smoothly as I hoped it would. So even when I came back and I was kind of trying to train and play, I still wasn't quite ready.
“I've not played a U.S. game for over a year and a half now, I think, so there was no sort of certainty on my end that I was going to be fit and available and make it, because it just seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.”
Balogun on being THE No. 9 for the U.S.
He has scored nine goals, including one in each of the past five matches, with three assists in 23 matches for Monaco in France’s Ligue 1. He has scored five goals in 10 Champions League matches.
“I think for every striker the most important thing is to score goals. Luckily, I've been able to do that coming into camp. We've been winning games at the club, and it's been giving me confidence. So my confidence is definitely in a good place coming into camp in terms of these two games. When you're building up to the World Cup, you always want to make a good impression.”
Pulisic on the quality of the training ahead of the two friendlies
“I think you can feel the intensity in the training. All the guys are wanting to really stake their claim and they want to be on that World Cup roster. There’s no doubt about it. Everyone wants to prove themselves. We have a great opportunity now with two really good games, I think you can definitely feel the energy in the team and feel that it’s getting a little bit more serious. And yeah, the excitement for the tournament’s obviously starting to get real.”
McKennie on what it would mean on the team’s goals for World Cup
“I think this goes for any player that's competing in the World Cup. I think it would be everything to win, and especially to do it in your home, in front of your friends, your families, the people who have supported you throughout your whole career, who are closest to you. That's really all I can say.
“You have so many people on the outside that want to put what a successful tournament would be for us, but I think us giving everything that we have and not having any regrets throughout the tournament or after the tournament, I think that's a successful tournament for us. To go as far as we can, because obviously, anybody and any team that's entering into the World Cup is going there to win it and have plans to win it. That's why we're there.”