usa vs germany lands at a sold-out Soldier Field on Saturday, with the United States and Germany meeting for the 13th time in men's soccer. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. in Chicago, and it comes as the U.S. closes its World Cup buildup with one of its toughest tests yet.
Germany arrives ranked No. 10 in FIFA's global men's rankings and carrying a roster built around Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Joshua Kimmich and Manuel Neuer. The U.S. gets a side that has won four World Cups and three European championships, which is exactly why the matchup has drawn the kind of attention usually reserved for knockout games.
Soldier Field brings it back
The timing adds another layer. This matchup comes a week short of 33 years to the day since the first U.S.-Germany meeting at the same venue, turning Saturday into a rare return to a familiar stage rather than just another stop on the calendar.
Thursday's practice was the U.S. team's last at the national training center before the trip to Chicago, so the roster is now shifting from preparation to the final rehearsal. That makes the game a clean checkpoint for a group that has only this one shot to measure itself against elite opposition before the World Cup.
Scally wants the test
Joe Scally, who plays club soccer for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, did not soften the matchup. “I think we’d all rather play a better team than a not-so-good team.”
He added: “I think it makes the most sense to challenge yourself. Not so much see where you’re at, but to play better competition is always more fun, a better feeling on the field to play against some of the best guys in the world.”
That view fits a game built around pressure at both ends. Scally knows the German game from his club season, and the U.S. will have to match that level against a squad that includes veterans and young attackers such as Manuel Neuer, now 40, plus 18-year-old Lennart Karl and 22-year-old Nathaniel Brown.
Tillman faces Germany
Malik Tillman adds the sharpest personal edge. Born in Nuremberg to an American father and German mother, he committed to the United States in 2022 after going back and forth between the nations' youth teams, and he turned 24 last week.
For him, the stage is larger than a standard friendly. “For me, it’s very special,” he said, then added: “Of course, I dream to be able to play in the World Cup, and then also playing Germany right before is an amazing memory already. It’s great to be here, it’s great to be able to play this kind of game, and it’s going to be very special and emotional for me.”
Kai Havertz was just as direct about the opponent. “a good team.” He also said, “The fans are going to be excited, and I think [the players] want to show the fans that America is a top football country as well.”
Germany's striker went further on the task ahead: “So I think we are excited to play them on the weekend, and it’s going to be a tough test for us. I think, in general, they’re a good team.” If the U.S. uses this final tune-up to land a result, it will do so against one of the most decorated and deepest lineups it will see before the World Cup begins.
