USMNT moves annual January camp to December, starting in 2026

The U.S. men’s national team’s annual January camp is shifting to a new time of the year.

December will now be the new month for the program’s camp, U.S. Soccer vice president Oguchi Onyewu confirmed Friday. It will begin annually starting in December 2026, five months after the USMNT’s involvement at the FIFA World Cup.

The January camp normally falls outside of a FIFA international window, meaning that European-based USMNT players are not involved. However, MLS-based players are typically included as it falls outside of the season’s schedule.

Many of the current USMNT players have used January camps to boost their international stocks including Tim Ream, Patrick Agyemang, Matt Freese, and Max Arfsten.

“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,” Onyewu said.

“The January camp has long been an important platform for player evaluation and integration, with many current and former U.S. men’s national team players earning their first international experiences during this period,” he added. “Its impact on our program’s growth and player pathway has been significant and enduring.”

The USMNT earned a pair of home wins over Costa Rica and Venezuela respectively during its last January camp earlier this year.