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Jeff Kassouf
In 2025, the U.S. men’s and women’s senior national teams will collectively host 25 home friendly matches, each requiring two essential components: an opponent and a venue.
Scheduling these opponents and securing suitable stadiums fall to U.S. Soccer’s Tom King and John Terry, managing director of administration and vice president of events, respectively.
Rather than solving a single puzzle, their role resembles a game of speed dating as they navigate conversations to find mutually agreeable matches for multiple games simultaneously. “The relationship aspect is crucial,” King shared with ESPN. “It’s almost like a sales role, chasing after potential opponents tirelessly, even if it means waking up at 3 a.m. to connect with European colleagues.”
Working in concert, Terry seeks out viable venues, as neither the opponent nor the venue can be finalized independently—both are essential for a match to occur.
They aim to arrange high-caliber opponents for the USMNT, USWNT, and youth national teams, while also striving to host games in various locations across the country. However, logistical hurdles often complicate this process. “We want to ensure our team visits different regions,” Terry said. “How do we increase exposure and viewership for our national teams?”
Fans see the finalized match details—opponents, cities, and venues—yet may find some patterns perplexing. Why does a team return to California, Connecticut, or Orlando when regions like the Pacific Northwest have been overlooked for years? Why are opponents repeated? And how did ticket prices climb to such heights?
U.S. Soccer officials shared insights with ESPN about the intricacies of scheduling opponents and selecting venues, as well as the factors influencing ticket costs.
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The Friendly Scheduling Process
Coaches Emma Hayes for the USWNT and Mauricio Pochettino for the USMNT provide their desired opponent lists to U.S. Soccer officials regularly. King assesses the availability and begins courting other federations, while Terry focuses on securing the right venues, knowing that both elements are interdependent.
U.S. Soccer considers various factors when selecting venues, including climate, fan support history, facility quality, and broadcast constraints. Venue-specific requirements can include basic amenities like capacity and availability. Scheduling high-profile games, such as the USWNT versus Brazil at SoFi Stadium in April, might seem risky for a 70,000-capacity venue, while a match against a lesser-ranked team like Portugal could better suit a smaller stadium.
Timely decisions are essential, according to Terry; failing to secure a venue quickly can mean losing out on potential opponents. Certain venue operators may require attractive matchups before agreeing to host a game.
Lead time is described as “golden” by King, as it opens up more venue options and improves game promotion chances. However, crisis management is an inevitable part of their roles, as months of planning can sometimes fall through. King recounted an instance where a coach’s change in strategy meant scrapping ten months of preparations for an anticipated match.
Other times, the venue must change. The USWNT is set to close out 2025 with two matches against Italy in distinct stadiums across Florida, a shift from an original plan that involved a different European team playing in a baseball stadium located 2,500 miles away. King had negotiated with the prior opponent in the spring, but finding suitable venues can be complicated due to scheduling issues with American football and soccer, particularly during the autumn months.
While initially aiming for a unique event in Seattle with the USWNT, the opponent’s changes in scheduling led to a requirement for the women’s team to find a new match entirely. Each match contract comes with its unique needs; competitive teams often demand appearance fees for playing away matches and might also seek bonuses based on attendance.
King emphasized the federation’s agility in negotiations, allowing them to efficiently pursue desired opponents without bureaucratic delays.
Identifying Opponents and Venues
Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford serves as a compelling example of the complex decision-making process involved in scheduling matches. With the USWNT set to play Portugal there on October 26, it will mark the 19th game held at this venue since its opening in 2003. Despite its frequent use, the choice reflects strategic reasoning.
Cost is a significant consideration in scheduling matches, with MLS stadium rentals averaging around $200,000, while larger NFL venues can range from $500,000 to $1 million, according to Terry. The quality of playing surfaces also plays a role in costs, as only about half of NFL stadiums provide grass fields, which are preferred by both U.S. national teams and their opponents. Adding temporary grass can lead to additional expenses exceeding $500,000.
Availability is a critical initial hurdle for potential venues. For example, the USMNT faced difficulty finding a large grass-field stadium on the East Coast to host a match against Germany, eventually securing a date at Pratt & Whitney Stadium due to the availability of the stadium while its primary tenant–UConn football–had a bye week.
Orlando has developed into a favored location for both national teams due to its favorable weather and accessibility to both Europe and South America. The pandemic-era anomaly saw the stadium host five consecutive USWNT matches, a trend that has continued.
“Ideally, we aim to avoid returning to the same venue within a year,” Terry noted, acknowledging that various factors can complicate this aspiration.
Fan Costs and Accessibility
The multitude of factors influencing opponent and venue selection inevitably impacts ticket pricing, as rising costs are observed across sports and entertainment industries. Soccer, in light of significant upcoming events like the Men’s World Cup, shares in these challenges.
While U.S. Soccer lacks control over ticket pricing for some events, they are attentive to fan complaints regarding their own games. Terry stated that U.S. Soccer is committed to ensuring affordable initial ticket prices compared to MLS matches or other local soccer events, typically being 25-30% cheaper than those ticket prices.
However, resale market dynamics can lead to inflated ticket prices. For instance, while a front-row ticket for the USMNT vs. Ecuador match in Austin was initially priced around $84 before fees, resale prices quickly escalated to $297.50.
Dynamic pricing can also factor in, resulting in higher prices for in-demand matches. For example, tickets for the USWNT’s match against New Zealand started at $45, but due to the small venue’s high demand, prices increased significantly. U.S. Soccer’s model incentivizes early purchases, with them asserting that their games are generally more accessible than many sports events.
To make attending games more affordable, U.S. Soccer has limited ticket prices for the American Outlaws, the largest supporters’ group, to a maximum of $45 plus fees through October 2026. American Outlaws co-founder Justin Brunken noted this partnership aims to reduce the financial barriers for passionate fans.
U.S. Soccer also conducted initiatives like offering free parking and discounted concessions to enhance fan experience based on feedback from their Fan Council, which facilitates communication between fans and the federation.
“Much of the feedback centers on ticket pricing, atmosphere, and overall experience,” Lauralynn Stephen, a vice chair of the Fan Council, shared with ESPN. “We’ve seen noticeable improvements in response to fan suggestions.”
Future Prospects
Finding quality, diverse opponents, particularly from Europe, poses an ongoing challenge for U.S. Soccer. As FIFA has set international match calendars through 2029 for women’s football and 2030 for men’s, windows for European opponents become scarce.
King notes that the advent of the Nations League further complicates matters, as numerous top-ranked women’s teams from Europe will be involved in qualification and playoffs, impacting potential scheduling for the USWNT.
Consequently, the U.S. women’s national team may not secure European opponents until late 2026. King has already started reaching out to six potential European teams for scheduling opportunities.
U.S. Soccer has considered collaboration with Mexico’s federation to offer those visiting teams quality matchups. This improves logistics, allowing teams like Ecuador to play Mexico after facing the USMNT, benefiting both federations.
The atmosphere during matches often reflects the diverse backgrounds of American fans, as evident in crowds strongly favoring visiting teams during certain matches. Terry sees this as an opportunity to connect with communities and grow soccer’s footprint in the country.
As U.S. Soccer carefully deliberates friendly match logistics, competitive matchups for qualifiers can require a contrasting approach. King explained that for critical matches, such as World Cup qualifiers, crowd support becomes paramount, leading to venue selections like Columbus, which has consistently provided a pro-U.S. atmosphere, even in colder conditions.
Moving forward, U.S. Soccer aims for meticulous planning as they pursue prospective matches, ensuring that the organization sets schedules far into the future, favoring a proactive rather than reactive approach.