Don’t get your hopes up yet, but there is a chance the U.S. Men’s National Team could compete against some of the other big-name countries that missed out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
According to ESPN, U.S. Soccer and SUM are exploring matches between the USMNT, Italy, Chile, Ghana and the Netherlands.
The report noted that it’s unsure whether there will be a formatted tournament for the games, or if they’ll be friendlies next year. If this were to happen, the Americans would face quality competition even while not participating in Russia, which could be to the development of the younger players in the USMNT squad.
The teams listed are among the biggest names to miss the 2018 World Cup with Italy failing to qualify for the first time since 1958. The USMNT, meanwhile, missed the World Cup for the first time since 1986 while each of the other teams has missed the world’s top tournament this millennium.